Tuxedo Samurai Remix, a Sailor Moon Story
by Espiritu Invictus
Summary: A remix story of the dashing warrior, Tuxedo Samurai, and his intertwined destiny with Sailor Mars. Evil arises from a spark, and the Sailors are called back into action to protect the world that they love. Follow these heroes through their journey of love, pain, heartache, and high school. Please read and review! I love your input! RayeX(OC)
1. Out of the Rain

**Tuxedo Samurai Remix **

This is a remix from a previous story of mine done under the account of Jonah Mark. It's name was Sailor Moon: Chaos Rising. I want to revisit the idea of a tuxedoed Warrior destined to protect Sailor Mars. The remix will have large plot alterations with some familiar elements. Enjoy the new remix and please check out the original version sometime as well. -Espiritu Invictus

* * *

**Tuxedo Samurai Remix, a Sailor Moon story**

Episode One

Out of the Rain

It had been raining for days now. The young miko sat on the porch that wrapped around her family's shrine and watched as the rain poured down from the heavens. There was something peaceful about the humdrum of the rain as it struck the tin roofs of the shrine facilities. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the post she pressed her back into. The warm cup of tea in her hands comforted her hands from the cool air.

She had spent three of her precious vacation days from school doing absolutely nothing because of this rain, but still, there was something peaceful about it—something cleansing and refreshing. She hadn't felt that way in a long time.

Raye had willed herself not to go there, but she did it again—the dreams. She winced as she tried to banish the images and thoughts from her mind. They started a few months ago—only sporadic at first, but they were becoming an almost nightly occurrence. Oh, these weren't like the typical gloom and doom dreams she was used to having; in fact, there was a small part of her that wished her recent dreams were just that. If they were, then at least she would have her friends by her side. But these? Oh, no, it wasn't that—simple. Raye fought back blinding tears as images danced across her mind—the man in the tuxedo, the mist, the kiss. This dream would only destroy the friendship and love between her and one of her dearest friends. Instead of crying, she fought back the tears and forced the images out of her mind. Whatever this dream was, it was not reality. There was only one man in a tuxedo and she swore to protect him and his princess.

She fluttered her eyes back open and quickly reached up to wipe the remnants of any forming tears. She was alone out on the deck, but it was just an engrained habit she had—that is, making sure that nobody would see her cry. She took another sip of her tea to occupy her mind just as a crow squawked.

She turned her head towards the deck. Two crows—which she affectionately called Phobos and Deimos—hopped around the porch, unwilling to fly out into the rain. "Stranded, are we?" She said to them.

They bounced around some more, paying no attention to her words. She sighed and looked back out into the rain. "Yes, me too." .

It was only minutes, but it seemed like hours, for her to finish her cup of tea. She couldn't help but stare at the leaves that collected at the bottom of the cup. It looked like a soggy crescent moon.

Again, the crows started to squawk, this time much more noisy and frequently. Raye looked at them, wondering what got them in a ruckus. She looked around curiously for a moment, her eyes darting back and forth, until she saw it. At least, she thought she did. She had to study for a few moments through the haze. Something was approaching. She put her hand over her eyes to make it out better.

"What in the world?" Raye stood up from her seat on the deck. A person—a crazy person—approached the shrine walking through the rain. It wasn't until he reached the inner courtyard that Raye could make out that the person was a young man. As he came closer, his features became clearer and clearer.

The young man approached the deck, standing on the stone sidewalk. He paused, standing completely in the rain. His clothes were soaked and they clung tightly to his athletic body. His golden blonde hair laid flat against his head and kept slipping into his eyes. He frequently had to adjust it out of his eyes as he had approached and now as he stood before her.

Raye studied him for a moment—to be respectful, she started at his feet which were caked in mud and slowly worked her way upwards to his face. She couldn't help but notice the sorry state he looked like he was in. What kind of fool would be out on a day like today? Not only was it raining, it was cold, she thought as she watched him exhale a large misty cloud. He was even trembling and shivering slightly. Handsome but crazy, she thought as a small bemused smirk appeared on her face.

"Is Master Himura here?" It was then that his eyes met with hers—beautiful sapphires locked with amethysts.

"Uh…" Raye's voice faltered for a moment, seeing the intensity and desperation in this stranger's eyes. "…yes, yes, of course. Right this way." She motioned for the stranger to come up onto the deck and enter the house.

He approached at a normal speed, seemingly not caring about the rain, but he stopped just before stepping onto the deck and started to take off his shoes.

"Don't worry about it," Raye said, noting the fact the stranger cared about making the deck a muddy mess with his boots.

The stranger continued to remove his boots. As he hunched over to untie the laces, he looked over at Raye. "You're probably the one who has to clean this deck, am I right?"

Raye nodded. He was rather intuitive. "Yes, that's right."

The stranger came up onto the deck and finally found relief from the rain. Raye had opened up the sliding door leading into the house. The stranger went to place his boots back out in the rain, but Raye stretched out her hand for the boots.

"Give them to me. I'll make sure they're taken care of."

"Thank you for your great kindness," He gave a small bow as he turned his boots over to the miko. He stepped inside the house as Raye motioned him to do so. She followed right behind him, noting the large wet backpack he carried. A long wrapped up object stuck out of the backpack. Perhaps it was a small tent or something. Raye started to wonder if this guy was homeless or something. Nevertheless, she took the lead and guided the stranger into the kitchen area.

"Please have a seat. I will find my grandfather." She set the boots down in a safe corner and took off to find Master Himura.

The stranger nodded.

She had a pretty good idea where he would be. She walked to the office and opened the door to see her grandfather hovered over the shrine's financial records with a large magnifying glass. Tasks like that usually took him three times longer than anyone else due to his failing eyesight. "Grandpa, we have a visitor."

The old man didn't look over as he continued to study the numbers. "Today—of all days?"

"Yes," Raye nodded. "He's asking for you."

"Who?" Her grandfather looked up at her.

Raye bit her lip and flushed a little. She hadn't bothered to ask the stranger's name. She was a little too busy admiring his face to ask questions like that. "He didn't give his name."

Grandpa sighed and threw down the magnifying glass. "Well, alright, but I'm going to be really upset if it's some Jehovah's Witness or Tupperware salesman."

"I don't think he's one of those," Raye shook her head as she followed behind her grandfather. The thought of this stranger selling Tupperware seemed as unlikely as Serena Tsukino getting top marks at school.

Raye followed her grandfather into the kitchen. The stranger had not sat down. He stood in the middle of the kitchen dripping and slightly shivering from being chilled to the bone. Raye's grandfather studied the stranger hard with his squinty eyes. "Hmmm, Tsukiyama Akira."

The stranger couldn't help but give a relieved smile at the sound of his name. "Yes, it is good to see you again, Master Himura."

Raye's jaw about dropped as the two seemed to know each other very well. She had certainly never seen this stranger in her life.

"I've seen you've grown more…" Raye's grandpa started.

Akira looked down at his body and nodded.

"…daft, that is." Grandpa finished. "What in the blazes were you doing out in the rain like that? You could have gotten yourself sick or hurt!"

"Uh," Akira stuttered a bit. "Well, I, uh…"

Raye eyed the two of them suspiciously. Raye knew that scolding tone from her grandfather. She thought it was only reserved for people as special as herself, but here she was listening to it, and it wasn't directed at her.

"I need to talk to you, Master." Akira found his voice.

Grandpa let out a sigh, still a little angry about Akira's wanderings in the rain. "Fine. Let's get you warmed up then we can meet…"

"Now," Akira said.

Grandpa noted the desperation in the boy's eyes. "Alright then. Follow me." Grandpa turned and started to walk out of the kitchen. "Raye, please make arrangements for Mr. Tsukiyama."

"Yes, grandpa," She slightly bowed as her grandfather left the room.

Akira started to follow.

"Would you like me to take your backpack?" Raye asked.

Akira shook his head. "No, thank you. I will need it later." The stranger walked out of the kitchen.

Raye cringed as she realized that wet, soaking backpack would probably make a mess all through the house, and she'd be the one who'd have to clean it up. She shrugged though. At least it was only water and not like the muddy boots sitting in the corner. Although, she supposed she'd have to clean those up too.

* * *

Raye sat at the table, impatiently tapping her foot against the floor. She managed to prepare a room, find extra clothes, clean the stranger's boots, and slice up some vegetables for dinner. She had been sitting at the table for the past twenty minutes wondering what was going on in that room. What could they possibility be talking about?

Raye didn't like to think of herself as the nosy type—after all, she was friends with some of the most unnaturally meddlesome people on Earth, but curiosity got the best of her. She slowly stood up from her chair and made her way down the hallway. They were meeting in the tea room. She knew every floorboard by heart and watched her steps carefully. It was too perfect. One of the shoji doors was left cracked open. She kneeled down to the floor and peered inside.

Her grandfather sat kneeling at the table, carefully studying a scroll. The stranger sat also on his knees, looking like he had been waiting a long time for an answer. That's probably what has been taking so long—her grandfather can barely see enough to read. Raye almost laughed at the thought, but she managed to keep it to herself.

Grandpa began to roll up the scroll. "Are you aware of the contents of this letter?"

Akira looked up from his daze. "Briefly. Master Ichiro told me to seek you out and to present you with his request. That is all I know."

The old man nodded. "Then I shall honor his request."

Akira nodded as well. "Thank you, Master Himura."

Grandpa stood up and stretched with a yawn. "Let's head to the kitchen. We'll get you some hot tea and get you dry."

Akira stood up as well, taking time to stretch his stiff legs.

"I suppose everything you got in that bag is wet?"

Akira nodded as he and grandpa moved towards the door.

It took Raye a minute to process the fact that the two men were coming out of the tearoom and would spot her spying on the floor. Her eyes bulged, and she sprung up like a ninja. Frightened, she tried to carefully sprint her way back to the kitchen without being seen or heard. It only took a few seconds for her to get back there, but her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Ah, Raye, there you are," Grandpa entered the kitchen seconds later. "Make some tea, will you?"

"Yes…grandpa…" Raye tried to say without sounding like she was out of breath. She immediately went over to the stove to keep her face hidden.

Grandpa waved his hand towards the table. "Sit down, Akira. Take a rest."

The boy still looked wet and miserable as he sat down, but he wasn't shivering anymore. Grandpa sat down at the table as well. He folded his hands neatly together and looked over at the boy. "You remember my granddaughter I told you about?" Grandpa asked as he heard Raye clanking around the kitchen.

Akira nodded. "Yes?"

Grandpa made a pointing motion with his head. "That's her."

"I figured as much," Akira said.

There was a moment of silence before Grandpa spoke again. "You two are about the same age—both of you will be third years in high school."

"Oh, really?" Raye muttered, trying to make small talk.

"She's single, you know…" Grandpa said matter of factly. "…but she's got a nasty temper…"He wrinkled his nose as he said that last part.

"Grandpa!" Raye hissed as she turned around. "You do realize that I have a whole kettle of boiling water that I could dump over your head right now?"

"See what I mean?" Grandpa looked smugly over at Akira.

Akira couldn't help but smile.

Raye let out a sigh of annoyance as she sat down at the table with the men. She poured tea into three cups then set the kettle in the middle of the table. There were a few more moments of silence before Grandpa spoke again.

"Raye, I'll need you to get to work on cleaning the guest house once the rain lets up." Grandpa said, warming his hands against his cup of tea.

"Why is that?" Raye asked before taking a drink.

"Akira, here, is going to be my new apprentice."

Raye instantly spit the hot tea out of her mouth and it flew all over Akira's face. A simultaneous, "What!" popped out of her mouth, but once it was over, she placed her hands over her mouth as her face turned red as scarlet.

Drops of tea rolled down Akira's face as he sat there dumbfounded.

Grandpa braced himself for an argument.

"An apprentice? Are you crazy?" Raye spat. "You're in no condition whatsoever to be taking on an apprentice! The doctors said you need to be resting!"

"Awwh, I'm fine!" Grandpa brushed off the doctors' advice with a motion of his hand. "What do they know anyway? I'm as strong as an ox!" He raised both of his arms and flexed his biceps.

"And as blind as a bat." Raye crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why do you always have to be such a brat?"

"Why do you always have to be a stubborn old man?"

The two started their nonsensical bickering in front of their guest for a few moments until both of them when "Hmph!" At that moment, Raye stormed out of the kitchen and into her bedroom.

Grandpa turned to Akira as if nothing happened and started talking again. "So, we'll also have to get you some new robes. I don't think we've got any around here that will fit you."

Akira nodded silently as the man continued.

* * *

There she was crying for the second time that day. Angrily, she fought back the tears, but they just kept coming and coming. She lay on her bed clenching the comforter with her hands. A big wet spot formed underneath her head. She hated crying, but sometimes, it was just too much. There was too much to deal with right now.

Damn those dreams! Even though she wouldn't outright admit it, Serena was one of her best friends, and to have the kinds of dreams she was having—well, it wasn't becoming of a "best friend." There was the man in the tuxedo. She couldn't see his face in the dreams, but who else would it be? Another hot wave of tears poured out of her eyes. There had always been an awkwardness concerning these things—perhaps not to Darien and Serena, but Raye sure felt it. She thought back to that time that seemed like forever ago—to when Serena and Darien didn't get along. Raye had actually dated Darien. She knew that he was just being kind and it was mildly entertaining for him, but for her, it meant much more. She learned not much later though that Darien and Serena were meant to be together. Her feelings were irrelevant. Serena would get her Prince, and she would be alone. Having dreams about things she spent so much time and energy suppressing was torturous!

And of course, Grandpa had to drop another bombshell on her tonight. She'd be cleaning out the old guesthouse—the place where Chad used to live—as if that wasn't going to bring back a lot of unwanted memories. Chad had left a little over a year ago. Just about the time she found herself getting over Darien and ready to open up her heart again, he was gone. Chad Kumada had spent so much time claiming his undying love and affection for her that when she finally was able to receive it and possibly reciprocate, he was already on the road and gone to the next "love of his life."

Strike two for Raye Hino's love life, she thought to herself bitterly. She rolled over onto her back as she managed to get her tears under control, but a long growling sound erupted through her stomach. She groaned. She had hastened to her room after her fight with Grandpa that she forgot to eat dinner. Raye glanced over at the clock; it was already approaching midnight.

* * *

He sat on the floor with his back pressed against a western style bed. Only the dim light of a candle lit the room. He was cleaned up and dry now. For pajamas, he was given some temple stay robes consisting of a light grey colored tunic and pants that only went halfway down his calves. He knew he looked silly, but at least his other clothes were hung up and drying in the laundry room.

His hands came up to his face and he rubbed his weary and tired eyes. Goodness, it had been a long couple of days. This was the first time he had a chance to stop moving since it happened—since his master died.

His eyes blinked with tears as recent memories resurfaced in his mind. The slowly weakening grip, the last breath, and the final request of his master all ached in his heart. "Master Ichiro," he uttered, barely above a whisper.

Akira forced back the tears and opened his eyes with full resolve. His master asked him to be here—to come to Tokyo. He didn't know why and he didn't know what the scroll he carried to Tokyo said, but he would honor his master's wish. He would train with Master Himura, one of Master Ichiro's oldest friends.

Akira reached down to his left and he grasped ahold of something he treasured greatly—his katana. The silver blade of the sword glimmered in the candlelight. He gripped the familiar black and gold accented handle and held it up, peering down its long, sharp, and smooth blade. It still was as sharp as he always remembered. The scabbard was black-like midnight, the guard was a glimmering gold, and the handle was wrapped in soft black wrappings. It was a sight to behold—beautiful and deadly. He looked one more time near the base of the blade at the blade's golden collar. There was a small symbol printed into the gold. There was a small round circle with an arrow pointing outwards. He had no idea how it got there—it was always there, as long as he could remember. He shrugged his shoulders at the mystery once again and led his eyes elsewhere.

Akira had made careful preparations for the katana to travel with him. Everything he owned was soaking wet from the rain, but he managed to keep his katana dry and safe. As he examined the blade one more time, he yawned, realizing that it was time for bed. He sheathed the sword and placed it under the bed for safe keeping.

* * *

Raye walked back from the kitchen with a snack in her hand. Perhaps a red bean mochi bun wasn't the best choice for dinner, but she rationalized it because of the difficult day she had. She quietly walked down the hallway, careful not to disturb anyone sleeping. As she passed by the tea room, she looked into the open room. Lying on the table was the scroll that Grandpa had been reading in front of Akira earlier that day.

Raye paused at the door. That scroll likely held all the answers to her questions. Who was this Akira guy? What was he doing here? Why did he come now? She bit her lip, feeling her curiosity wanting to burst inside of her. However, she shook her head and closed her eyes with a deep breath. It wouldn't be right of her to do that. She quietly slid the shoji door shut and walked back to her room. She would have to find the answers another way.


	2. A Special Dinner

**Episode Two**

**A Special Dinner**

By the next morning, the rain had finally cleared up and the sky looked so clean and picturesque. There was still an unnatural chill in the air for summertime, but nevertheless, it was a beautiful day.

Raye figured she better get to work. She tied up the sleeves on her long white miko robes and opened the door to the guesthouse carrying a broom and a bucket of cleaning supplies. For the most part, it was pretty empty—just a few old boxes, a few pieces of furniture, and a year's worth of dust. She stood in the doorway and looked around the room. Even when Chad lived there, she didn't come into the room that often, and after he left, she found no reason whatsoever to be in here. Occasionally, Grandpa would ask her to store a box or two in here, but nothing else. She rolled her eyes—she'd have to move all those boxes that he asked her to store somewhere else. Where to begin, she wondered, but she always remembered it was better to start high and work towards the floor. She lifted up the broom and started using it like a duster around the ceiling. This wasn't going to be a fun morning.

She worked continuously for about fifteen minutes until the sound of someone calling her name broke the silence.

"Hino-san?"

It sure wasn't Grandpa's voice. She stood in the doorway and looked outside. Akira stood at the bottom of the small stairs leading to the deck of the guesthouse. He was clean, dry, and properly groomed, and yet, the locks of his hair went multiple directions. Thick locks of golden blonde hair shot all over the place. Raye had to suppress a smirk as the idea crossed her mind that some of those locks made him look like a banana head. Still handsome though, she thought, not able to suppress the small blush that appeared on her cheeks. "I see your clothes are dry."

Akira looked down at his old faded jeans and black tee-shirt. "Yeah."

Raye stood there for a moment. "Do you need something?" She didn't mean to sound as impatient as she did, but she had a lot of work to do.

"Ah, yes," He said, bringing up a hand and running it through his golden hair. Raye thought that was a little too handsomely distracting. "I came to help you."

"You did?"

Akira nodded. "Yes, I thought it'd be a little unfair if you're the one who has to clean up for my sake."

"Are you sure my grandfather doesn't want you to do something else?" Raye asked. She really wasn't used to company or anyone helping her with her chores.

Akira shook his head. "No, it's alright. I asked. He said it was a great idea."

Raye shrugged her shoulders and turned back towards the room. "Alright then. I guess if you want to."

Akira walked up the steps and came into the room shortly behind Raye. He stood for a moment and surveyed the room. "What should I do first?"

Raye nodded towards some of the boxes in the corner. She knew they would be heavy, and hey, she might as well let him do all the heavy lifting. "Take all those boxes outside so I can clean that corner."

"Alright." Akira went to work on the boxes. They worked silently for a few minutes. It wasn't until Akira came back for this fourth box that he spoke up. He bent over and picked -something up from in-between the boxes and lifted it up to show Raye. "Is this yours?"

A _Princess Fighter 2000_ manga comic book dangled between Akira's thumb and index finger. The comic was a popular read for 12 year old girls. Raye cringed at the sight of it. It was not hers—it was Chad's. She remembered all the ammunition his comic book tastes gave her during teasing sessions. And what she feared would happen, started to happen—memories panged her heart.

"No," Raye shook her head. "Left behind," was all she could manage to say in that moment.

Akira shrugged, tossed it aside, and continued with moving the boxes. After he finished moving them out of the room, he came back in and automatically grabbed a towel and cleaner from the supplies Raye bought. He set to work on cleaning the furniture. "So," he said. "Did you and her get along?"

"Who?" Raye asked.

"The girl. You know, the one who lived here. The other apprentice."

Raye almost snorted, but she managed to stop herself. "The last apprentice was a guy."

"Oh, sorry," Akira blushed slightly. He nodded towards the manga found earlier. "I just assumed it was a girl. I mean…"

"Don't even worry about it," Raye said, lightheartedly. She looked over at the book again and let out a laughing sigh. "I can understand why you'd think that."

"You want me to throw it away?"

Raye shrugged. "Nah, I give it to my friend, Serena. She likes that comic—for reasons I'll never understand."

They continued to work, but it was surprising to Raye. She thought going through the room (the old drawers, under the bed, in the closet) would stir up memories and only put her in a foul mood, but today, it was okay. Things didn't seem so bad. As she worked, she couldn't help but look up at the boy working alongside her. He worked diligently and selflessly, but something seemed off. Of course, she didn't know the boy well, but compared to most people, he seemed a bit down or saddened. Maybe that was just his normal disposition—she didn't know. It dawned on her that she was being a bit rude by not talking or asking any questions so she decided she better start.

"So, um," She spoke up then lost her voice. "Where are you from?"

Akira looked up from his work. "Kyoto."

"Your whole life?"

Akira nodded. "Yes, until now."

Raye tried to be positive. "Tokyo is really nice—there are lots of great parks and things to do. I think you'll like it here."

Akira nodded in affirmation, but still looked a bit down. "Yes, thank you."

"Do you miss your family?"

"Family?" Akira parroted back.

Raye stopped cleaning. "Yeah, your family—you know, your mom and dad. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Akira reached up and started to rub the back of his neck. "Uh, I don't…have a family."

A look of absolute embarrassment washed across Raye's face. Akira decided that he should try to explain to ease the tension. "My master, Master Ichiro, found me when I was a baby. He raised me."

"Sorry," Raye muttered. "I…"

Akira shrugged. "It's nothing."

Raye tried to repair the situation. "Tell me about your master. I've heard my grandfather mention him a couple of times, but I really don't know much about him. Is he nice?"

Akira bit his lip. "He…_was_…nice."

Hearing Akira put a lot of emotion into the word "was" struck a bell in Raye's mind. "Ah," She covered her mouth as her face went hot red. Strike two! "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to…"

Akira nodded, trying to comfort her. "It's alright."

"Damn, I can be such an idiot sometimes!" Raye blurted out.

Akira couldn't help but chuckle at this, which eased the tension. After a moment, he became serious again. "My master died a few days ago. He asked me to come here and train with your grandfather. I'm sorry that it's been a burden on you." He glanced around the room. "I'm sure you'd rather be doing other things than cleaning up this room."

Raye shook her head, still embarrassed. "Ah, don't worry about it."

* * *

The guesthouse was looking neat and tidy by lunchtime. Raye finished her last task and looked around the room for a moment. "I think that about does it."

Akira nodded, surveying his new surroundings.

"Now, at least, you can take a rest." Raye said, looking at the bed she just put sheets on.

"Akira!" Grandpa hollered from outside.

The boy walked out of the room to the outside deck. "Yes, Master?" Raye came shortly behind him.

"Ah, there you are. I have some errands I need you to do for me." Grandpa pulled a long list out of his robes and offered it to Akira. Akira had to step down off the deck since Grandpa's arms were so short. "I need you to go into town and get these things."

Akira looked at the list. "Okay, but I don't know where these places are. Do you have a map?"

Grandpa waved his hand, unconcerned. "You don't need a map! Take your time! Enjoy the city a bit! Just make sure you get everything on the list."

"Uh, Grandpa, shouldn't I do it?" Raye said. "Akira doesn't know the city well."

Grandpa shook his head. "I don't think the tailor can make proper robes for Akira by measuring you. He'll have to go himself." He then pulled out an envelope and gave it to Akira. Here's all the money you'll need and a little extra for your lunch."

Akira took the envelope and thanked the old man for his generosity. Nothing was keeping him from leaving so he awkwardly excused himself and left the temple grounds.

Grandpa waited until Akira was out of earshot. He then turned to Raye and rubbed his hands together. "I'm going to be preparing our family's famous sukiyaki dish for Akira tonight—you know, as a welcoming party."

Raye crossed her arms over her chest. "Who's this for—you or him?" She knew how much her Grandfather enjoyed sukiyaki—especially her grandmother's recipe.

"Can't it be for both?"

Raye shrugged. "I suppose so."

* * *

It was mid-afternoon as Serena Tsukino skipped down the streets of her familiar neighborhood shopping district. There were so many choices she had to fill her free time: shopping for clothes, snacks at the Crown Fruit Parlor, a few video games at the arcade, the possibilities were endless. She treasured this time greatly, knowing that in about a month, she would have to go back to school. At least, there was only one more year to get through until she was finished with school for good.

Up ahead was a street vendor selling cotton candy, and the sweet fluffy treat sounded delicious to her. Serena looked down for a moment and reached into her pants pocket for the correct change. When she looked up, she about dropped her change on the ground.

There was a gorgeous guy! He was much further up the street, but Serena had impeccable senses when it came to these sorts of things. She could make out his face, his build, and his beautiful shiny hair. Forgetting all about the cotton candy, she went into hot pursuit and started speed-walking down the street. In her haste, she plowed right into an old woman and the both of them collapsed on the ground.

"Watch where you're going!" The old woman snipped at the buffoonish blonde. She was helped to her feet by onlookers and was given her cane back. Once the woman had the cane, she used it to point at Serena and shout louder.

"Sorry," Serena cringed, not bothering to stand up yet. After the woman was ushered away by others, Serena then started to gather her belongings.

"Can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"Raye!" Serena blurted out even before she looked up. She knew that voice.

Raye towered above her with a bemused expression on her face. "Never a dull moment with you, is there?" She offered her hand.

"Raye, we don't have any time to waste!" Serena didn't take Raye's hand but rather pointed down the street. "There is a major hottie…oh…" Serena couldn't see him anymore.

"Serena," Raye shook her head. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

The blonde shrugged. "Not really. Darien's busy."

Raye blinked. The dream—the one with her and the man in the tuxedo—flashed in her mind's eye for just a moment. She never understood it: Serena had a boyfriend, and yet, she ogled over every semi-cute guy she saw. At first, Raye felt a little annoyed, but as she thought about it more, she felt a twinge of fear in her heart. What if something happened between Darien and Serena? What if the kind of things, like Serena's ogling, would drive the couple apart? What if they'd each find new partners? What if Darien came back to Raye? After that last thought crossed her mind, Raye immediately shut it down. There is no way she'd ever let something like that happen. Serena was her best friend—no matter what.

"Raye!" Serena called, snapping Raye out of her daze. "We should go after him!" She sprung up and grabbed Raye by the wrist. She took off down the street, dragging Raye along for the ride.

"Se-re-na!" Raye growled. "What do you think you are doing?"

"We have to check this out!" Serena continued to drag Raye along. "My hunk-o-meter is through the roof!"

"Well," Raye said, almost bashfully. "I guess we better check it out."

"That's the spirit!" Serena went even faster. The two of them rounded the corner so fast that they almost knocked over another old woman. They blurted out some apologies and kept going. Finally, Serena spotted the man. "There!"

"Where?" Raye looked around.

"There!" Serena pointed again.

Raye scanned the street for a few moments until her eyes rested upon a blonde haired man fighting with multiple bags and trying to put change into his wallet. Raye shook her head. "That's just Akira."

"What?" Serena said, completely flabbergasted. "You know him?"

Raye pulled away from Serena's grip and started to walk towards the man.

"Are you crazy!" Serena said. "You can't just walk up…"

"Hello, Akira," Raye said.

The boy turned around, juggling with the bags. "Oh hello, Hino-san. I thought you were staying behind at the shrine."

Raye rolled her eyes. "Don't tell him I told you, but Grandpa's trying to make sukiyaki for you tonight. He forgot we were out of soy sauce." Raye lifted up the cloth shopping bag. "He insisted."

"Hmmm, sukiyaki," Serena's love of food overcame her slight embarrassment of talking to her stalking victim.

Akira glanced over at her, noticing that she was with Raye. "Oh, hello."

Serena snapped out of her daydream about food. A big smile exploded upon her face. "Hello, I'm Tsukino Serena. It's nice to meet you."

The two blondes bowed to one another. It was then that Raye felt an unusual vibe of similarity between the two, but she brushed it off as nothing. They were just two blondes with crazy hair—the meatball head and the banana head.

"It's nice to meet you too. My name is Tsukiyama Akira."

Serena eyed Raye with a devilish grin. "So how do you two know each other?"

Raye shot back a "don't you dare" look to her friend. "Akira will be the new apprentice at the shrine."

"New apprentice?" Serena looked like the gears were turning in her head. "But there hasn't been an apprentice since Chad. Oh, I bet that's awkward. You know, the fact that you guys almost dated, but didn't."

"Not as awkward as you're making things right now," Raye gritted through her teeth.

Akira's eyes bounced back and forth between the two girls until he registered what Serena said. "You almost dated that _Princess Fighter_ guy?" He said, referring back to the comic book they found earlier in an almost teasing sort of tone.

Raye couldn't help but blush. "Well, it's not like…I mean…"

Serena nodded her head, somewhat solemnly for her disposition. "It was a hard time in Raye's life, but she's…"

"Se-re-na!" Raye growled for the second time that day.

"What?" Serena balked. "I was just…"

"Being a blabbermouth!"

"I'm just trying to make conversation!"

"That's not exactly causal conversation, now is it?"

"Well," Akira said somewhat loudly to carry over the girls. "I better back to the shrine then. It was nice to meet you."

The girls stopped their bickering. Raye sighed. "Yeah, I better get back too. I got what I came for."

"Soooooo…" Serena made sure to stretch out her 'o'. "You're having sukiyaki tonight?" She nodded and looked to the ground. "I hope it's delicious. You know, I've heard that sukiyaki is one of the…"

Raye rolled her eyes. "Do you want to come over for dinner?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Serena beamed.

* * *

Who knows how long their jaws were dropped. Raye and her grandfather sat at the table completely bewildered as it looked like a typhoon had hit their table. All the neatly prepared side dishes were ravished in the storm of furiously fast moving chopsticks. The hot pot that contained the sukiyaki was disappearing rapidly. Raye shook her head to snap out of the madness. She blinked and watched the two blondes inhale their food. She knew Serena was bad, but she had no idea this new apprentice was equally as bad. The two of them eating together was like a dangerous synergy of dining chaos.

Serena paused for a moment and put her hands over her stomach. She let out a big sigh of contentment. "Delicious!"

Akira nodded, his mouth full of noodles.

Grandpa finally came to his senses and picked up his chopsticks. He realized that his grocery bills were about to get a lot more expensive.


	3. The Peace is Broken

**Episode Three**

**The Peace is Broken**

They both propped their foot up on the ledge surrounding the outside perimeter of the roof. Both of them leaned against that propped up leg as they studied the city streets below. However, both of them did not share the same sentiment upon their faces.

The one, with fiery red hair, grinned widely as he observed the scene below. A group of young boys had broken out into a fight.

The other looked less than amused. His wild purple hair tossed in the wind over his equally cold and distant expression.

Both of them, however, looked out of place in this world.

"That's the one! I bet you anything!" The one with red hair said, glancing over to his companion. Instead of actually looking at his companion, he watched as he flexed his muscles—oh, the wonders of sleeveless shirts.

"That isn't wise," The man with purple hair said. He reached into his pocket and gripped a hold of a stone. "Besides, I believe you still owe Lyra because of your last gambling escapade."

"That's none of your business!" The man started to fail his arms. He too had a hold of a milky white crystal in his hand, and he wasn't as careful as he should have been about letting it slip out of his waving hands.

The other man only rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the street fight below. "Are you sure you want to waste your time with this?"

"I'm right!" The man flailed again. "You just watch!" Fire ignited in the palms of his hands.

His companion was unfazed by this.

The man with fire in his hands looked back down to the scene below. Three boys encircled their victim. They kicked the helpless boy furiously, shouting insults and hateful words. The leader, the tallest and well-built, grinned from ear to ear as he dominated his prey. "That's the one," The man with fire said. "He's strong."

* * *

It was another beautiful day at the Hikawa Shrine. The birds were chirping happily on that mid-morning as Raye stepped out of the house for her miko duties. Luckily, she wasn't asked to do too much today—just sweep the sidewalks and restock the shelves in the gift shop. She shuttered as a chill ran up through her feet, as she stepped onto the cold stone walkway. It was still unnaturally cold.

She pushed that thought out of her mind as she headed towards the utility shed. In there, she would find the brooms she'd need to clean the sidewalks. She had to walk by the guesthouse to get there. On the porch, Akira sat with his legs crossed reading a manga comic. She paid no attention to him until she had almost passed him then she dropped dead in her tracts.

"Good morning, Princess."

Raye spun around faster than lightning. "What?"

Akira didn't lift his gaze from the _Princess Fighter 2000_ manga. "Admittedly, this isn't as bad as I originally anticipated."

"You're joking, right?"

He shook his head. "In-depth characters, interesting storyline, well-drawn graphics…"

Those were things Chad used to say; Raye couldn't help but remember that. "Well, that's all fine and good, but what's with the greeting?"

Akira finally looked up. "The main character is a Princess—she reminds me of you."

A vein in Raye's forehead started to bulge. "I remind you of a robot?" She hissed, somewhat familiar with the story—a specially developed robot that appears incredibly human, is made to be the daughter of a King, struggles to fit into the human world, and fights in numerous battles to save her adopted father's kingdom."

Akira laughed, which Raye didn't appreciate. "A little—although, I suppose not the robot part."

"What do you mean, _suppose_?" Raye growled.

This only elicited more laughter. "Your grandfather wasn't kidding."

"About what?"

"Your temper." As if that didn't ignite the flames even more.

Raye was about to go ballistic on the guy, but she stopped herself at such a curious sensation. She had been here before—a thousand times perhaps—fighting with Serena about something stupid and petty. She blinked for a moment, but she only saw Akira sitting on the deck of the guesthouse cross-legged reading a manga. She snapped out of her daze. "I've got work to do." She took off.

"Bye, Princess!"

Raye let out a sound of disgust before she marched forward towards the shed. "What an obnoxious…." She muttered to herself. "And I was trying to be nice to him…his master died and all…first he goes around all depressed…now look at him…" She continued rambling.

* * *

"I'm not kidding, Mina, the guy rates a full 10!" Serena squealed into the phone.

"Are you serious?" Mina could hardly eat the lunch her mother prepared for her. Well actually, it was more like Mina's breakfast since Mina was still in her pajamas and had only woken-up a half an hour ago. "And he's at Raye's house?"

Serena deeply nodded with the phone pressed against her ear. "Yes, he is. He's their new apprentice. I saw it with my own eyes."

"New apprentice, eh?" Mina started to get a little serious. "How's Raye holding up with that?"

"Oh, she's fine!" Serena forgot the fact that she embarrassed Raye in front of Akira with her comments about the old apprentice. "Anyway, I say we go over to Raye's today. I've already called Ami…"

"You called Ami first," Mina sounded a little hurt.

"Well, mom made me get up early today to do some chores. Once I was done, I had some extra time on my hands, and I knew you wouldn't be up before noon…"

"True," Mina interjected, reasonably.

"But Ami just wasn't as excited as you are…"

"You're right about that!" Mina exclaimed. "Let's get Lita and Ami then get over to Raye's!"

* * *

The four girls walked up the long tall steps to the Hikawa Shrine as the early afternoon sun warmed them from the cold air. The two blondes could help but jabber back and forth between each other while the brunette added the occasional comment. The girl with short and sassy blue hair only kept her nose in a book as she ascended the steps gracefully, not missing a step.

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?" Mina rattled on.

"Apparently, he just moved here from Kyoto. I can't imagine any girl being happy about that," Serena said.

"Oh, so maybe, he's heartbroken, and he needs the right girl to heal his tender wounds with her loving hands and gentle soul…" Mina went off into a daydream.

"I think you've been watching too many chick-flicks," Lita said.

"It's actually from a book," Ami said matter-of-factly. "The Rebel in Uniform." She began to quote from its pages. _"There he was—Nakamura Souta—handsome, rebellious, and brooding. He was the kind of guy who broke girls' hearts, but perhaps it was because he was broken himself. Perhaps he only needed the right girl to heal his tender wounds with her loving hands and gentle soul."_

"That's right!" Mina exclaimed. "How did you know?"

They all stopped walking simultaneously to look at Ami. She stopped too but raised her book higher to hide her blushing face.

"We should probably see the guy first and talk to him a bit before we go assuming what his relationship status is," Lita said, wisely.

They continued walking. When they finally reached the top of the steps, Serena let out a big, tired sigh of relief. "When is Raye's grandpa going to install the escalator? I'm tired of walking up those steps every time I need to see Raye."

"Yeah," Mina moaned the same complaint. "Why doesn't Raye come down to us?"

"I did try paging her on our Sailor communicators once to do just that," Serena said, remembering a past memory. "She didn't like it too much."

"Anyway, we better get to finding Raye," Mina scanned the shrine grounds.

"Be careful," Lita breathed. "That guy could be around here anywhere."

All of them quickly straightened their clothing, fixed their hair, then carefully moved forward in search of their friend. It did not take them long to find the miko. She was inside the small gift shop stocking the shelves with various types of charms. She looked up as they approached, surprised to see them in a group. It seemed so rare these days that the five of them were together. Ever since there had been peace, normalcy and busyness returned to their lives. Not that she would ever say it, but she was glad to see them. A smile started to creep upon her lips.

"We're here to see the hottie!" Mina squealed.

Whatever smile was starting to form on Raye's face instantly died. She instead frowned. "Se-re-na!" She growled.

"What?" Serena threw her arms up into the air.

"Did you bring them here just to gawk at the new apprentice?"

Serena looked away, "We're here for other reasons too." She looked back up as her fight started to kick in. "Why do you always have to be so accusing, Raye?"

"Because you're usually up to something!"

Lita, Ami, and Mina all exchanged glances. This more than anything made them feel like they were having a Sailor reunion. Ironic that the hallmark of that relationship was Serena and Raye's bickering, but there was something oddly comforting in hearing the two friends ramble on with their insults and childish-behavior.

"You ever heard of '_innocent until proven guilty'_, Raye?"

"Stop being guilty and maybe I'd believe your supposed _innocence_ every once in a while!"

"Why are you so ridiculously mean?" Serena squealed.

"I'm not being mean; I'm just sharing the facts!"

As the five of them stood around, engrossed in the argument, Akira walked up in his new priest robes, cloud white shirt with sky blue hakama pants. He stopped behind them and looked back and forth between the squabbling blonde and the miko from the shrine. He listened for a while as they hurled humorous insults at each other.

It was only after a few moments that Lita noticed something behind her right shoulder. She peered over and let out a surprised gasp to see Akira standing there.

"Why don't you just admit it, donut breath?" Raye noticed the unusual silence. She snapped out of her argument. Akira was standing there, and the girls immediately became bashful with the stranger present. "Yes?"

He shrugged his shoulders and grinned at her. "Just came to see the show, Princess."

Raye cringed at the reference. "I really wish you wouldn't call me that."

"I really don't see the harm in it, Raye-hime," He said. "I think it suits you very well."

Mina started to nod. "Yeah, Raye, you really are like a Princess—the Princess of the Hikawa Shrine."

"The _spoiled_ princess." Serena snickered to which Raye flashed a murderous look in the blonde's direction.

"What do you want?" Raye snapped at Akira.

Akira looked unfazed by this. "Your grandfather said that he won't be around for dinner tonight. He was asked last minute to perform a blessing on a new building. He was also invited to the after-party so he said he will be late."

"Oh," Raye looked a little embarrassed for snapping at him. "Sorry."

Akira shook his head graciously. "Don't worry about it."

Raye saw her friends eyeing the stranger while she noticed Akira noticing their staring as well. She cleared her throat. "Akira, these are my friends. Lita, Ami, Mina, and of course, you met Serena."

"Hi," They all chorused in unison like giddy schoolgirls.

Akira bowed his head to them and responded with a hello. "What brings you here to the Hikawa Shrine today?"

Multiple different excuses and nervous murmurs fill the air that Akira just blinked until it was over. "Oh, I see," He said, not understanding a word of what the five girls said.

"Anyway," Mina said, with a sly quality to her voice. "We were about to have some tea with Raye. Would you like to join us?"

"Yes," Akira said while Raye simultaneously said, "No,"

"Great!" Mina grabbed Akira by the arm and led him back towards Raye's house. The others followed right behind. Raye stood, left behind, as a frown appeared on her face. She waited for a moment then followed after her friends.

* * *

"Oh, my goodness!" Mina was giddy. "He is absolutely fabulous! Raye, you are so lucky to have a guy like that working at your shrine—looks _and_ personality!"

Raye started to grumble something incoherent.

"He is quite charming, isn't he?" Lita said, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

"He seems quite intelligent as well," Ami added, more as an objective assessment rather than a boy-crazed daydream.

The five girls walked home from their dinner in town. Since grandpa wasn't going to be home that night, there was no use in cooking. She decided to go out with her friends instead. Luckily, Akira declined their offer to attend with them, but she started to wish he would have come—at least the conversation could have moved onto another topic.

"Oh, what's the matter, Princess?" Serena looked at a sour-faced Raye.

It was strange to be called '_Princess_' by the actual Princess. Raye blinked for a moment before her anger got the best of her. "I've already told you, I don't like that name!"

"Oh, but Akira, sure does," Serena said, matter-of-factly. "Why he uses it all the time…" Serena stopped talking and broke out into a wide grin.

"What?" That grin unsettled Raye.

"Nothing," Serena couldn't erase it.

"No, what?" Raye demanded to know.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Serena chimed sweetly.

"Damn it, Serena, I swear…"

Serena dropped into a ridiculous kung-fu stance, "Try it! Wwwaaah!"

All the bickering was silenced by the sound of a loud and desperate scream echoing through the empty streets of Raye's neighborhood. The five of them stopped dead in their tracks and listened in the eerie silence. The scream came again. This time, they could hear the direction it came from and charged forward.

Perhaps it was an accident or a robbery. Perhaps it was some normal crime—one a normal person would expect, but these Sailor Scouts had been doing things like this for too long. That scream was unnatural. It would be unwise to transform before assessing the situation, but to the sailor pens is where each of their minds went whether it be in their purse, coat pocket, sock, or at home.

Serena cringed. Her transformation locket was in her dresser at home. If some monster didn't end up killing her today, Raye would. Perhaps she should have lain off all the jokes today, then Raye might have been more merciful.

It did not take them long to sprint to the park from where the noise was coming. They approached cautiously through the bushes to get a better look at what was happening. Two boys lay on the ground, still and lifeless, curled into fetal positions. Hopefully, they were not dead. Meanwhile, a third boy seemed to be hovering about two feet above the ground. Although it appeared as if there was nothing around it, he seemed to be constrained and unable to move. He screamed again revealing himself to be the source of the noise.

"What do you want with me?" The restrained boy hollered. His attention was faced towards the other side of the small park. That's when they first saw him—the man with flaming red hair. His hair was bright red and raised up off his head like just like the appearance of flames. He was thick, strong, and tall as he stood before the captured boy. His clothing was dark—black sleeveless shirt that clung to his muscular frame, dark pants that were slightly baggy, and black combat boots.

Lita started to rise up on her heels to charge. Mina grabbed ahold of Lita's shoulder to stop her. Mina only shook her head and Lita relented. Some things never changed—such as Lita's eagerness to charge into battle.

"Would this be a good time to tell everyone that I forgot my transformation chalice at home?" Serena whispered to the group.

They all groaned quietly.

The man with the fiery hair pulled a milky-white crystal out of his hand. It did however seem to glimmer with many different colors in the late-evening sunlight. He held it up and concentrated for a moment. Suddenly, a white beam of light shot out of the crystal, and it pierced into the chest of his captured victim.

That was it! The five girls arose from the bushes while reaching for their sailor pens.

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Uh, guys?" Serena looked a little helpless and defenseless in her civilian attire as she stood before her transformed friends.

"Just stay low and keep your mouth shut," Raye said. "If it's at all possible to keep your mouth shut."

"Oh, it is!" Serena snapped, sinking angrily back into the bushes.

The boy screamed as the white light surged into his body. The girls charged out from the bushes and confronted the man who would do such a despicable thing.

The man however did not bother look at the Sailors as they confronted him. He only continued to focus his attention on the screaming boy. Soon, the boy fainted and the light died down. A large scowl appeared on the man's face. The Sailors looked over at the boy. He appeared as if he was dead.

"Damn it! I was sure of it!" The man quickly tugged the crystal back into his pocket.

"Leave that boy alone!" Sailor Venus hollered.

The man only snorted a smug reply. "You can have him. He's worthless." He started to turn his back on them. "I'm finished here."

"No, you're not!" Sailor Jupiter flared up.

"Oh," The stranger turned back around curiously.

"You won't hurt innocent people like that then expect to get away with it," Sailor Mars piped up. "Prepare yourself for justice!"

"That's right!" Sailor Mercury added.

The man held out his hands before them. "Ladies," He said as a smirk crept upon his face. "Flame on!" His hands burst into flames.

The four Sailors winced as the strangers hands burst into flames. This was about to get a lot more serious than they anticipated. Nevertheless, they had to stand their ground. They were defenders of the innocent and the helpless.

"Victory Formation! Sailor Mercury, follow up behind!" Sailor Venus hollered. The Sailors all nodded and got into position. The first three attacks were merely distraction techniques. They were to set Sailor Mercury's attack up as the main attack. Hopefully, her powers of water would fare well against this enemy. Sailor Mars shot off her "Mars Flame Sniper," knowing it would probably not do much damage to her enemy, but hopefully, it would stun him for a moment. Sailor Jupiter then sent her "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" aiming it to the left while Sailor Venus "Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" towards the right.

Mars' arrow struck first, but the warrior only raised his arms to block the arrow. It exploded into a fiery haze against his arms, but as she predicted, it did little to no damage. Luckily, Sailor Jupiter's attack came in next followed shortly by Sailor Venus'. The man, however, moved into a martial arts stance and was able to angrily swat away the attacks. Both attacks exploded off to the side as they hit the ground. He only had a moment to recover though as Sailor Mercury's "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" came crashing with waves of cold and powerful water over him.

After the energy died down, they saw a dripping wet warrior with a severe scowl on his face. The fire in his hands was gone, but it easily kindled back into flame. "I hate getting wet," was all he breathed raggedly before he began his attack. The motion of his flaming hands lit up the dark evening as they waved back and forth. He was a chaotic fury of motion as he struck at the Sailor Scouts. He brutishly punched Sailor Jupiter in the stomach before she could attack again, struck Sailor Venus on the side of the head, and launched two fireballs that could cripple the Sailor of Fire herself. Sailor Mercury tried again with one of her water based attacks—it was the best they could hope for against this beast of a man.

He saw it coming however and managed to step out of the way. His boots weren't so lucky. Water spattered all over them. Sailor Mercury swore that fire flashed in his eyes before he charged forward to attack her. They weren't clever or graceful attacks, but this guy had the steer strength and power to dominate his enemies so it didn't matter. A swift kick to the stomach with those boots she just got wet was all she needed to crumple over and hit the ground.

"Oh no!" Serena whispered while watching from the bushes. Her friends were taken out in a matter of minutes. There was nothing she could do to help them. Hot and heavy tears started to leak from her blue eyes—sometimes she even hated herself for being so irresponsible. It was then she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the masked man in the tuxedo. "Tuxedo Mask," She quietly whispered to her beloved. "I thought you were out of town this weekend."

"Just returned," He looked over into the park. "And luckily just in time." He ran a few meters down the bush line then revealed himself to the fiery stranger. He glanced around for a moment, noticing three boys incapacitated then came up with an award winning speech. "How dare you destroy the innocence and fun that children have here at the playground…"

The warrior only rolled his eyes which made Tuxedo Mask end his speech early in an embarrassed shade of red. "You'll pay for your crimes," Tuxedo Mask leapt forward and poised his cane to strike. As it came down, it smacked into the stranger's arm and then cracked. Tuxedo Mask fell backwards from the force. "Who…who…who are you?"

The man on fire only smirked. "General Draco, warrior of Starfire." Tuxedo Mask then saw the warrior's boot come into view followed by a painful kick to the face. The General only laughed as he watched Tuxedo Mask bounce away like a ragdoll.

"We will not…" Sailor Mars stood up, painfully. "…lay down and die here." She fired a golden arrow from her bow, carefully and accurately. The General tried to step out of the way, but the side of the arrow tip gently grazed across his cheek. A thin red line appeared and a drop of blood ran down his cheek. He slowly cocked his head towards the shooter, showing her the wound.

Satisfaction for a hit did not have time to register upon Mars' face as her enemy came quickly upon her. Bone-breaking swings of his arms and the burning sensations of his fists pounded upon her small body. When she tried to block, her arms would collapse in shattering pain. His fists would hammer upon her body sending painful burning sensations through her body, but still, she continued her best to fight.

Enraged that he wasn't taking her out quickly, he raised his hand above his head. The fire in his hand took on a strange shape then it formed into a solid hand axe. He brutally swung it down. Mars managed to side step, but she didn't manage to counter his second hand and the newly formed axe in it. It sliced across her stomach. She could hardly process it before she felt herself fly across the park with another kick.

"RAYE!" Serena screamed. She revealed herself from hiding and ran over to her wounded friend. "Raye!" Serena about fainted from the sight of all the blood, but nevertheless, she kneeled down to her friend and put her hands over the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Ser…ena…" was all Raye could manage to choke out as her lips trembled. She always hated crying, but she couldn't help herself, it all hurt so badly.

The fire warrior approached with his axes ready.

Serena held out her bloody-hands and kept kneeling before Raye, acting as a human shield between the monster and his victim. "Please, don't hurt her!" Serena said, mustering all the courage she could find.

"Get out of my way!" Draco growled. He poised his axe, ready to strike. "I have no problem cutting you down to get to her!"

Sailor Jupiter tried to stand, but her knee gave out on her. "Ah, no…please…"

Venus lay on the ground barely able to crawl let alone stand. Tears leaked onto the dry ground and muddied her face as she watched the horrible scene unfold.

Ami tried to reach for her supercomputer. Perhaps there would be some protocol or distraction she could program in to save them, but she couldn't reach it no matter how hard she tried to use her arm. There was little control left in her fingers.

Serena held her ground, but her heart pounded furiously as her chest heaved. Tears leaked out from her sapphire blue eyes. She closed them, imagining herself and her friends only an hour ago—laughing over dinner and enjoying each other's company. That's how she wanted to leave this world, not with the images of their deaths before her.

The axe swung down violently, but the loud clang of metal on metal and the strike that never came caused Serena to open her eyes again. Standing before her, a man in black guarded her and Sailor Mars from the attack with his sword. "Tuxedo Mask?" She barely managed to say. She glanced to her right, but there was Tuxedo Mask, using his cane to rise to his feet. A look of awe was plastered to his face. The man before her was not Tuxedo Mask.

General Draco took a leap backwards and regained his footing. The fighter in black was able to relax and stand up straight. Just his presence—the presence of hope—seemed to send a surge of energy to those around him. The Sailors were managing to sit up and assess the situation. Standing before Serena and Sailor Mars, a man in a tuxedo held a sword. He could easily be mistaken for Tuxedo Mask at first glance, but after inspection, there were major differences between the two. First, this new man did not wear a top hat over his golden blonde hair. Second, there wasn't a cape that draped over the back of his shoulders—he only wore the tuxedo and the white mask. Third, instead of a cane, he carried a katana at his side with its black scabbard mounted on his left hit. Last and perhaps most peculiar, was the symbol of the crescent moon upon his forehead. It was the same that Princess Serenity and her mother had upon their heads.

The General stood silent for a moment, but a look of fear and annoyance all rolled into one crossed over his face. He then took a few steps back and materialized into thin air. He was gone. The invisible prison on his teenage victim disappeared, and the boy collapsed to the ground.

"Why would he just leave like that?" Sailor Jupiter finally managed to get to her feet.

Sailor Mercury answered, "By the look on his face, I assume that he did indeed wish to engage but wasn't sure if he had the authorization to do so."

"You think he's working for someone else then," Venus said, sitting up from the cold ground.

Tuxedo Mask started to nod in agreement, but was distracted by Serena's horrible scream. He spun around quickly while the other Sailors managed to pull themselves together and rush to her side. They seemed to ignore that their mysterious stranger stood there silent and stoic as they rushed past him.

"She's dying!" Serena panicked. The same wave of panic washed over the other Scouts as they saw Sailor Mars starting to convulse from her deep wound. Her breath was rapid and wild like a dying animal fighting for its survival. "Ami! Help her!"

Sailor Mercury looked over the situation. She always tried to remain calm and objective during these situations, but assessing the wound, even wheeling Raye into the hospital at that moment would not save her life. An agonizing sob escaped her lips as the tears poured out. "Raye, it's alright. We're here with you. You're not alone."

"NO!" Serena screamed. She looked around frantically for another answer. She saw it. The face of the mysterious stranger who saved their lives was coming forward. He gently pushed the Sailors out of the way and kneeled down to Sailor Mars. "HELP HER! PLEASE HELP HER!"

More tears poured out from the Sailors. They had never heard their Princess so desperate before.

The mysterious tuxedo reached down and cradled Raye in his arms. Her eyes closed, and her movements slowed down. Serena shrieked in terror, but the warrior didn't seem to be fazed by this. He held her close to his chest, staining his white tuxedo shirt with her blood. He closed his eyes. The crescent moon upon his forehead started to glow. With that, a mist of white shimmering waves of light started to radiate from his body. They engulfed him and Raye as he held her.

As they stood there and watched, they felt themselves grow stronger. Sailor Jupiter noticed the throbbing ache in her knee slowly die and then all together disappear. Venus' ankle didn't look as swollen as she glanced down at it, and Sailor Mercury's shoulder gently clicked back into place. But Sailor Mars did not awake.

"It's not working!" Serena sobbed.

The masked man paid no attention to the words around him. He tenderly continued to cradle the Sailor of Fire in his arms then did the unexpected. He kissed her. It was very gentle and soft, but more white waves of healing light emanated from his body and onto hers. The Sailors' eyes grew wide as they watched the deep wound over Mars' stomach heal up completely. Only the remnants of blood and the tear in her uniform were left of this wound. Movement started back in Mars' fingers. Whether she was conscious of it or not, her fingers started to twitch then her hands slowly came up. Her right hand wandered over the mysterious man's chest for support then to his neck as if it was only a matter of her enjoying a kiss rather than being healed from a life-threatening wound.

Her violet eyes fluttered open, and it was then she realized she was being kissed by a stranger. She gasped, breaking the kiss. The man took his cue and pulled his head back. She started at his face, completely dazed to see a man with a white mask and a crescent moon on his forehead back away from her. The next thing she noticed was a crippling hug attack from Serena.

"I thought I lost you!" Serena sobbed.

"So did I," Mars only managed to say.

They were only given a moment of peace before the other Sailors tackled them with affectionate hugs. As the celebration began, the mysterious warrior stood up from the ground and slowly backed away from the scene. He turned and walked away from the crowd.

"Wait a minute!" Sailor Jupiter called. "Who are you?"

The man kept walking. "It's not important."

"But you saved our friend's life!" Venus exclaimed. "Who should we thank?"

"No thanks needed."

"Who are you?" Raye asked, having a child-like curiosity about her.

The man stopped when he heard that voice.

"Please," She asked.

He only glanced over his shoulder. His blonde locks fluttered over his white mask in the cool evening breeze. "Tuxedo Samurai." He turned and walked out of sight moments later.

"Tuxedo Samurai," Mars uttered.

The group sat in silence for a long time processing everything that happened. Sailor Mercury checked on the three boys who were attacked—they were breathing.

"So, Tuxedo _Samurai_," Tuxedo Mask frowned as he broke the silence.

"Tuxedo Samurai," The others chorused in wonder.

Serena looked over at her tuxedo warrior. "There are two of you! Why did you tell me?"

"How was I supposed to know!" Tuxedo Mask said. "This is the first I've ever heard of it!"

"Are you sure there isn't some secret tuxedo club?" Serena said.

"I'm sure," He said, absolutely certain.

Sailor Venus giggled. "Ooooh, Tuxedo Club! That'd be really hot!"

Sailor Jupiter groaned. "You would think that—you and your hormones."

"Think about it," Sailor Venus said. "All the most handsome men in the universe dressed in the finest tuxedoes…"

"I get the impression that they're a little more than models…" Sailor Mars tried to stand but nearly collapsed back to the ground. Serena caught her best friend.

"Raye, are you alright?" Serena asked, like a worried mother.

Sailor Mars grabbed her head. "Yes, I'll be fine. I just didn't realize how weak I still am."

"Let's get her back home so she can rest," Sailor Mercury said. "I can't even imagine how cell growth regeneration makes a person feel."


	4. Confession

**Episode Four**

**Confession**

Sailor Mars had fainted along the way. That was probably a good thing because the only person strong enough to carry her was Tuxedo Mask, and she would have probably died for real if she knew he was the one who had to carry her home. When they reached the Hikawa Shrine, it was completely dark except for the light of the crescent moon that filled the night air. They managed to get Sailor Mars back to her room without getting caught or spotted by anyone.

The other Sailors retransformed back into their civilian attire and bid Darien goodbye after he laid the unconscious girl back down in her bed. Serena, quiet and solemn, held out her hand above Raye's tiara and concentrated for a moment. Suddenly, Sailor Mars' uniform dissipated, leaving the formerly wounded and naked girl lying in her bed. Without being asked, Ami had already gathered some towels, hot water, and medical supplies from Raye's private bathroom. She set to work carefully cleaning the blood from the recently healed wounds and placed antibiotic ointment on the wounds for safety measures. The largest wound was wrapped up to protect the ointment. After Ami was finished, it was Lita and Mina who found a pair of Raye's pajamas and gently dressed her in them. Finally, they pulled the covers out from under her and covered their friend. It was Serena who came forward though and tucked the covers tighter around Raye while planting a gentle kiss on Raye's forehead.

Mina stared down at the raven-haired girl. "We were lucky."

Lita could only nod silently.

Serena held her head down in shame. She had forgotten her transformation chalice—something that could have proved to be a costly mistake.

Still in her seriousness, Mina had a way of being kind. "From now on, we have to be prepared for attacks."

The four of them wearily found seats in Raye's bedroom. Ami went to the small table where the Sailors frequently did homework, gossiped about boys, or discussed Sailor business. Mina, tired herself, sprawled out on the floor and closed her exhausted eyes. Lita leaned back into the corner of the room and rested her head into the nook. Serena, however, knelt down besides the bed and took ahold of her friend's hand.

* * *

When he fluttered his heavy eyelids open, he found himself lying backwards on his stomach in his bed. It took him a moment to process his surroundings. He was in his room at the Hikawa Shrine. He glanced over at his alarm clock—9:30pm. He didn't remember lying down for a nap. He sat up in the bed and touched his feet to the floor. He rubbed his tired face. The last thing he remembered was tending to the bonsai trees, but now, here he was in his room. He must have been very tired, he reasoned. His sleep felt like a thousand years of darkness, and now, he freshly emerged from a black hole—one with no dreams, memories, or anything. He shook his head and stood up. This was not a good time for a nap. He got out of bed and headed out of the guesthouse. He surveyed the quiet grounds of the Shrine. His master didn't appear to be back yet from his duties. Only one light filled the darkness, and it came from Raye's bedroom. Maybe Raye and her friends were back from dinner. Perhaps he should go bother them. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes then ran a hand through his wild blonde hair in an attempt to tame it. He approached the door, but it was quiet—an odd thing for Raye and her friends. He knocked.

Inside the room, the four girls looked at each other, frightened. Lita mouthed the words, "Raye's Grandpa," to the other girls. They nodded in agreement. Serena instinctually got up, knowing that Raye's grandfather liked her the most out of all the girls—sometimes even seemingly more than Raye. She casually slid open the door. "Oh, Akira-san," She said, trying not to sound surprised.

"Is everything all right?" Akira happened to get a glance in the room. Raye was sound asleep in bed while the other girls looked absolutely tired and worn down.

"Oh," Serena nodded. Serena looked back towards Raye. Normally, she was a terrible liar, but practice from having to hide her sailor activities from civilian friends and family members gave her the edge in this instance. "I think Raye's come down with the flu."

Ami stood up from the table and affirmed this with a vigorous nod. "Yes, we were out earlier tonight, and she started exhibiting the classic symptoms of influenza."

"Really?" Akira said. "She seemed fine earlier today,"

"Oh, I know," Serena agreed. "But when we were out, she started to feel sick. We brought her back here and sent her to bed." Serena glanced back at the sleeping Raye. "We're just here to make sure she's ok."

Akira nodded in understanding. "I see." He thought carefully for a moment. "You're a really good friend, Serena." He glanced in at the others in the room. "All of you, really."

Serena looked over at Raye again then snorted. "Yeah, if I could only get Raye to admit something like that…"

Akira laughed along with the other girls. He had only known the Princess of the Hikawa Shrine a few days, but that seemed really true. "Is there anything I can get any of you? Tea, perhaps?" He moved his gaze over all the girls to make his offer known.

Ami nodded. "Tea would be lovely, and some type of anti-inflammatory analgesic. Raye didn't manage to get any medicine down before she fell asleep."

"Oooh, and some snacks!" Mina chimed in.

"Tea, snacks, and painkillers: I'll see to it then," Akira left to get the requested items.

* * *

After they cleaned up the plate of cookies and emptied the tea kettle that Akira brought them, the girls realized that it was very late and that they should probably return home. Serena refused, however, and decided to spend the night. Despite everything that happened, none of the girls questioned this. They knew Raye would be in good hands. One by one they left to go home, with Ami leaving last and giving Serena some instructions for Raye's care.

"Call me if her status changes or you have concerns," Ami repeated herself again.

"I will Ami-chan," Serena bowed slightly as her friend left. "Stay safe,"

Ami returned the sentiments and disappeared into the night. Serena slid the door shut and turned back to Raye. She resumed her spot next to Raye's bed and took a hold of the girl's hand. It wasn't such a far stretch to claim that Raye had the flu. Her hand was cold and clammy, something very unnatural for the Soldier of Flame and Passion. Raye's body always seemed to give off a supernatural heat. Some people were afraid of that heat, just as they were afraid of the power that fire brought. But for others, those who really understood, the fire brought warmth, beauty, and passion.

It wasn't long until Serena found her tired eyes shutting, and her head resting on the bed next to Raye's hand.

* * *

Frightening images danced across her mind. There was a demon with hands of fire. His fast and furious movements lit up the darkness of her dreams. Although his movements had the appearance of dancing, there was something fierce and wild in his attacks. The demon would strike out with his fiery fists and it was only once they were hit that the faces of her friends in agony would appear. But they would shortly dissipate until the demon struck again. The demon grew ever closer to her, but before he reached her, she felt a burning slash across her belly. Darkness again.

It was dark for a while until her eyes were able to adjust to the grey mist. Now, the dreams were starting to feel familiar—not comforting—but familiar. Soon, the night sky illuminated above her—billions upon billions of shining stars. And there was the Earth. It was beautiful in the night sky—blue waters, green land, snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, and swirling clouds. As she always did in the dream, she surveyed her surroundings. It looked like, at one time, a courtyard. Grey stones were piled atop of one another alluding to the fact that this used to be something great—but now, it was the quiet ruins of something long ago. And here was when she would look up and she would see a figure approaching in the mist—the man in the tuxedo. He came as he always did, enclosed in the mist. He would say something, but Raye could never make it out. His arms would go around her—and perhaps why she hated herself the most is that she wouldn't fight it.

He always said it, "I love you."

She instinctively tilted her head up. Desperate, she always tried at this moment to get a glimpse of his face, but the haziness of the dream always blocked it out. Also, at this moment, is when the stranger would kiss her. And this time, he did the same.

Raye closed her eyes—she always did at this part. Perhaps she was always a romantic at heart, but she could never imagine keeping her eyes open for a kiss. After a few moments though, she would always open them to try and see his face. His time was no different.

She would always see the white mask, but today, burning through the mist was a yellow crescent moon. The image of his face sharpened—white mask, yellow moon, golden hair—then disappeared into the mist as usual.

Just as always at this point, she started to wake up from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered violently for a moment, trying to process where she was and what happened. The familiar sight of her bedroom came into view. Feeling came back to her hands. There was another hand inside hers. She knew the touch of that hand. She raised her hand onto the head she felt next to her.

"Serena," Raye caressed the golden-blonde hair.

The blonde stirred awake. "Hmm, Raye. You're awake." She sat up, still sleepy. "How are you feeling?"

Raye only shrugged. There was probably a thousand ways to answer that question. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts, but she remembered. They were attacked by a man with fiery palms, she was cut, and she almost died. But he came. He healed her. Wait a moment! The man who healed her—he called himself Tuxedo Samurai. Her dreams! She saw his face today in her dreams. She was not dreaming about Tuxedo Mask which was amazing, but what was she dreaming about?

Serena waited, seeing that Raye was still processing things, but she carefully studied the raven-haired girl's facial expressions. Finally, Serena spoke, "Raye, are you alright?"

Raye jerked her attention back towards the blonde. There was something different in the way Serena asked that question. Sure, she had heard those words before from her friend, but today, they sounded so different. She hated it, but she couldn't stop it—it brought her to instant tears.

"Raye?" Serena called, seeing that something was seriously wrong. "What's going on? Are you alright? Talk to me."

The tears did not stop. They kept streaming down her face like rivers. She tried to cover her face with her hands, but Serena wouldn't let her. Instead, Serena crawled up on the bed and sat next to Raye. It only caused more tears as Raye snuggled into her friend's side. She hadn't sat with anyone and cried like that for a long time now—the last time being with her sick mother.

"It's okay," Serena said, knowing Raye was fighting to shut down the tears. "It's okay to cry." They stayed like this for some time, Raye letting her emotions loose and Serena affirming it. It was until the tears stopped flowing about twenty minutes later that a word was spoken.

"I'm so sorry," Raye could barely say above a whisper.

"Sorry?" Serena looked confused, hearing the shame in Raye's voice.

Raye shook her head. "I know I haven't been very nice to you for weeks now. Things have just been…so…messed up."

"I didn't notice anything," Serena said, honestly. Raye and she always fought. Nothing seemed any different lately.

Tears started again. "I'm so sorry, Serena. It's just been really difficult lately. I've been having these dreams."

The blonde only nodded, listening carefully.

"It's been the same dream for the past few months. I'm on the Moon and a man comes to me in the mist…I…he…" Raye swallowed hard and another hot wave of tears came out. "He kisses me and tells me that he loves me. It looked like Tuxedo Mask. I didn't know who else it could be." Raye choked for a moment. "I'm so sorry! I never wanted anything like that to happen! These stupid dreams just kept coming and coming no matter how much I wanted them to go away! Serena, you're my best-friend. If last night didn't tell me that, I don't know what would. I hate myself for having these dreams!"

Serena sat silent—the silence perhaps worse than being yelled at. Raye just wanted the whole miserable experience to be over with. What was she prolong the enviable for—just scream, walk away, and never come back.

"I'm sorry it's been so difficult for you," Serena finally said.

"What?" Raye was almost shocked out of her tears. She looked over at Serena flabbergasted—Serena was apologizing to her?

"You're my best-friend, Raye." Serena gave a faint smile to her friend. "And do you want to know how I know that?"

"How?" Raye uttered, feeling her throat close again.

"Because you always are thinking of me and my feelings when you are struggling." Serena fell silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "I know you saw Darien first, and I know it couldn't have been easy when it was revealed that destiny put him and me together. I'm sorry for the pain it caused you."

Raye could only respond with more tears.

Serena let the tears clear before she spoke again. "Why do you think you're having these dreams about Tuxedo Mask?"

A strange wave of relief washed over Raye. She shook her head. "It's not Tuxedo Mask." She continued to explain as a confused look came over Serena's face. "I always thought it was him. The man in my dreams—he wears a tuxedo—but I could never see his face. But tonight, just before I woke, I saw him—I saw his face."

"Who was it then?"

As much as it relieved her to learn that the man wasn't Tuxedo Mask, it confused her to see that the man was the stranger known as Tuxedo Samurai. "I think it was Tuxedo Samurai."

"Tuxedo Samurai?" Serena put her hands over her mouth in shock. "This is all so strange. This guy comes out of nowhere and saves you. I mean, you would have…" Serena couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Died," Raye said it.

"Yes!" Serena said. "Who is he? Where did he come from?"

"And why am I dreaming about him?" Raye asked, concerned.

* * *

It was a joyous late morning for the Sailor Scouts. They all sat around Raye's bedroom and enjoyed each other's presence. Raye was still in bed, but she looked much stronger and healthier than she did hours ago. It was a good day—perhaps better realized by the events of last night. Perhaps even stranger was the soft and gentle demeanor Serena and Raye exhibited towards each other. Raye didn't seem irritated or annoyed at all with Serena's gregarious and bouncing behavior. Actually, she seemed to enjoy it—laughing and chucking at the blonde's usual antics. In turn, Serena was more than willing to help Raye with anything whether it was helping her to drink some water or fetching a pillow.

By noontime, Raye was already sitting up in bed and playing a game of cards with Mina when a knock came to the door. Lita went to the door and slid it open.

"You're back," Akira said, noticing the four girls in Raye's room. He saw Raye sitting up in bed, looking quite normal. "You're looking much better."

"Oh, you know, those 24 hour flus!" Serena waved her hand, brushing off the idea.

Raye caught onto the cover story. "Yep, I'm feeling much better now."

Akira shrugged. He was holding onto a wooden tray. "I brought you some soup."

"Oh, thank you." Raye said, flattered by his kindness. Lita stepped out of the doorway so Akira could bring the tray into the room. He carried it over to Raye and asked her where she wanted it. He put it down on the end-table next to her then stepped back.

"I'm glad you're better. Please let me know if you or your friends need anything else." He turned to leave the room.

"What, no _princess_?" She asked.

Those words made him stop in the middle of the doorway. He didn't turn around, but she knew that made him grin. "Be well, Princess. We've got a Shrine to upkeep, and I really don't want to do all your chores." He left the room.

Raye smirked then reached over for the hot bowl of soup.

"Goodness!" Mina exclaimed. "He is too cute for his own good!"

Lita nodded. "It really was kind of him to bring you that soup."

Raye glanced up after putting the spoon in her mouth.

"He is quite likable, isn't he?" Ami added. She blushed when the attention was turned on her. "I mean, in a general sense, as a human being."

"Oh, Ami," Mina blew a raspberry. "You're too logical sometimes. You know what they say, All lurking and no pay makes Jack a strange boy."

"That's not how that goes," Lita said. "It's _all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy_."

"Right," Mina affirmed, as if she had said it right all along. "Anyway, my point is that it's perfect alright to be admiring the opposite sex. I know I sure do."

"Tell me about it," Raye said, which solicited a laugh from her friends.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Mina said with a devilish grin. "How about that mystery man—Tuxedo Samurai? Someone seemed to enjoy that kiss a little too much!"

Raye nearly choked on her soup. "I did not!" Her face flushed bright red.

"Mina," Lita hissed. "Leave her alone! She almost…"

"What? It's not every day that one of us gets kissed by a cute stranger!" Mina threw her hands up questioningly. "I'm just curious!"

"We all are," Ami blurted out then blushed even deeper than Raye. "I mean…well, from a strategic standpoint."

They all fell silence and glanced around the room at each other before bursting out into laughter.

* * *

By the afternoon, they had moved out of Raye's bedroom for some fresh air and onto the decks of the Shrine. Finding the area secluded, they were able to discuss Sailor business. By then, the two faithful feline guardians were able to join them.

"What do you think that guy was after?" Lita asked, before taking a sip of tea. "He obviously didn't find what he wanted."

"It must be something special—not everyone has it," Raye said. "Otherwise," She began, disgusted. "He wouldn't have disregarded that boy he attacked so easily."

"Right," Artemis, the white cat, nodded. "Most of our enemies from the Negaverse have been after very specific things—heart crystals, dreams, star seeds."

"From what you've told us, it seems our new enemy is after something specific indeed." Luna, the dark cat, said. "We don't know who he is—besides his given name."

"General Draco," Raye reiterated. "He also said something also about _starfire_."

Nobody had any answers or additional information. They were quiet for a moment.

"What do you think that strange rock was about?" Serena asked. "It's what he used to hurt that boy, and it made that bright light."

Ami shook her head. "I have no idea. Hopefully, there isn't a next time, but if there is, I'll try to get a reading on my computer."

"That'll be important," Mina said. "Next time, we'll have to have Ami hang back so she can get all the facts she can into her computer. We need to know what we're dealing with here."

Artemis twitched his tail. "That's a sound strategy."

"And what about this Tuxedo Samurai guy?" Lita asked. "What do we even do with that?"

Serena and Raye glanced at one another. They both knew about the dreams, but there seemed to be a mutual understanding that it wasn't to be shared. "I think he's on our side," was all Serena said.

"Luna? Artemis?" Ami looked at them. "Do you have any suggestions as to who this person might be? Did your computer database yield any information?"

Both cats shook their heads simultaneously. "Nothing," Artemis said. "We have no idea who this person is."

"He blocked Draco's attack for me," Serena said. "Draco would have killed me." She looked over at Raye. "He healed Raye. She would have died if it wasn't for him."

"If he protected you and saved Raye's life, then his actions seem to demonstrate that he's on our side. Nevertheless," Luna said. "We must be cautious. He may have his own agenda in mind. If that agenda doesn't align with ours then we may have to consider him a threat."

"A threat," Raye said, almost offended. She surprised herself from how forceful she said it so she chose her next words carefully and said them gently. "I mean, he did a lot for us. I can't imagine him as a threat."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Artemis said, wisely. "Time will tell all."

There was a moment of silence before Lita spoke up. "Alright, this is what we know: there's a guy named Draco, he's got fire hands, he's searching for something specific, and he's likely working for someone else." She took a deep breath. "There's also another guy. His name is Tuxedo Samurai. He looks like Tuxedo Mask, but Darien's never seen him before. He can heal people, and he helped us."

"And he kissed Raye!" Mina blurted out.

"Mi-na!" Raye growled.

"Yep," Serena nodded, ignoring Mina's comment. "That's about it."

Lita sighed. "I just hate the fact that we were play things to him."

"Which reminds me," Mina stood up from the porch and leapt onto the ground. "We need to start a training regimen as soon as possible." She actually began to stretch right then and there.

Never in a million years had anyone imagined that Mina Aino would suggest that the group become self-disciplined with aerobic exercise, however, none of them would have imagined losing a Sailor even 24 hours ago. So without word and without resentment, all of them were up on their feet being to stretch. Perhaps even more surprising was the fact that Serena nodded in agreement and began stretching with the rest of them.

After stretches, they were being led by Mina into sit-up and push-up routines. All of them knew it, even if they didn't say it. Their performance last night was a result from a lack of discipline and focus. The dust of peace settled for too long—almost a year and a half. It was time to start training and being ready to don the Sailor uniform once again.

They kept at it for a long time—late into the afternoon. After Akira finished polishing the bells inside one of the buildings, he stepped out onto the deck and stretched. The sounds of grunting and moaning interrupted his peaceful yawn. He looked across the courtyard.

"Come on! 20 more! 19 more!" Mina hollered while standing on top of Serena's toes. "That's it! 16! 15!"

Serena moaned something like a cow, Raye thought, as the girl finished her last sit-ups. She kept that to herself though—after all, they had gotten along really well today. Once Serena was finished, the five of them began running laps around the courtyard. They passed by the deck where Akira stood, but they paid him no attention. Akira cocked his head to the side as he watched the girls enthusiastically workout. Grandpa joined him to watch the girls in action moments later.

"What are they doing?" Akira asked.

Grand didn't answer for a moment, continuing to stare.

Akira glanced over. He swore the old man was drooling a bit. "Master?"

Grandpa snapped out of his daze. "Oh, well, um…you know how girls are…probably think they're too fat or something."

"Well," Akira said. "I guess I'll head inside. Are you coming?"

Grandpa didn't hear this for a moment, still a little too distracted. "No, no. I have things to do out here…important things…very important things…"

"Alright then," Akira went inside the house.

Grandpa snickered while he rubbed his hands together. Raye had the cutest friends!


	5. The First Day of School

**Episode Five**

**The First Day of School**

He decided not to do the top button on his white dress shirt—he preferred the causal look much more. Finished, he stood back and looked at himself in the mirror. Well, it wasn't exciting—black dress shoes, navy blue slacks, white shirt, but that hair! He ran his hand through his golden blonde hair in a habitual attempt to tame the furious locks, but they only sprung back up. After seventeen years of trying to flatten that hair and failing, he thought he would have realized it was futile, but it was such a habit that he couldn't help it. He looked over his school uniform again and shrugged. It wasn't anything special, but at least it was better than his uniform in Kyoto. He remembered the tan jacket that clashed awfully with his blonde hair and how tight it was through the arms. This uniform would do.

He grabbed his black portfolio bag by the handle and headed out the door. He instinctively looked for Princess Raye. They might as well walk to school together on their first day, but when she came out of her room in a charcoal grey and dark red trimmed uniform, confusion washed over his face.

"So the Princess gets to wear a special uniform?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, putting a comb through her hair for finishing touches.

Akira motioned at her uniform. "I thought the girls uniforms were blue and white."

"Ah," She realized. "I don't go to 10th Juuban."

"Oh," He said.

"Don't worry," She said as she tucked her comb into her bag. "My friends go there. It's really a nice school. They have lots of clubs and activities."

The two automatically headed towards the kitchen for some breakfast. Raye made some off-hand comment about how she wished she went to his school instead of hers, but Akira didn't really understand the history behind that comment. He only nodded sympathetically to her. They entered the kitchen to see Grandpa trying to read the newspaper. He had the paper sprawled across the table and a large magnifying glass in his hand.

Akira sat down at the table. He watched the old man's forehead wrinkle up in frustration for a few moments. "Is there something important you'd like me to read for you?"

"What?" Grandpa looked insulted at the offer. "I'm managing just fine, thank you!"

Raye was busy making a breakfast drink. "Don't worry, Akira, the only thing he likes to read in there is the comics—hardly important at all."

Grandpa slammed the magnifying glass down. "You know, I would have thought that with _someone's_ last year of high school a little maturity would have set in." He waved his hand in good riddance. "I see it was too much to hope for."

Raye turned around from the counter and raised her glass of juice in toast to her grandfather before she took a drink.

"She'll be the death of me. I know it," Grandpa mumbled while picking his magnifying glass back up. "It's surprising I'm still alive now."

They sat quiet for a few moments. Raye worked on her fruit juice and some bread while Akira finished the leftovers from two nights ago. Since Akira would eat everything and anything, he was given the task of eating the old leftovers that Grandpa and Raye didn't want to touch. It was the new house rule.

Grandpa seemed to be finished reading the comics because he folded up the paper and set the magnifying glass back down. Instead of reaching for the chopsticks to eat his breakfast, he stared over at his granddaughter while she quietly sipped her juice.

It took her a few moments to notice. "What?"

Grandpa shook his head for a moment. "Goodness, you look more like your mother every day."

Raye nodded solemnly, staring at her breakfast.

Akira glanced back and forth between the two, noting the exchange. He didn't know the story, but he did wonder where Raye's parents were. From the impression he got, he could tell that Raye's mother was probably gone, and perhaps her father too. That was something he could understand—not having parents. Maybe he should have asked about it. After all, he was living there now almost like family. "She must have been beautiful then," He said absentmindedly.

Raye and Grandpa looked up at him. He blinked, realizing what he just said, then flushed a furious shade of red. "I mean…well…I…"

Raye blushed too, realizing the implications of what he said.

Grandpa saved the day. "Yes, my Risa was. She was beautiful indeed—beautiful heart and spirit."

Raye nodded fervently, agreeing with the comment about her mother, yet there still was a bright shade of red across her cheeks.

"Yooooooohooooooo!" A voice bellowed from outside.

"Ah," Raye leapt up from table, eager to break the tension. "That must be Serena! Time to go!" She grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

Akira sat dumbfounded for a moment until Grandpa snapped at him. "You better get going."

"Ah, right," Akira got up from the table and headed to the door. It was when he was about to exit that Grandpa called for him. "Yes?"

"Smooth one!" Grandpa winked and gave a thumbs-up.

Akira winced and blushed again. "Goodbye, sir!"

Four friends stood outside Raye's house in their blue and white school uniforms blue bows on their chests. Their uniforms matched Akira's while Raye's completely stood out. Not only was the color scheme different, the quality was far superior. Akira greeted them all with a bow to which they responded back.

"Will you walk to school with us, Akira?" Mina asked, popping up on her tiptoes.

"Might as well," He said, but winced when Mina squealed and grabbed ahold of his arm.

"That's fantastic!" Serena grabbed a hold of his other arm.

Akira looked a little frightened that the other girls might go for his legs, but they didn't. The other two—Lita and Ami seemed like calm and rational individuals to him. He glanced over at Raye who seemed a little distant that moment.

"We really should proceed," Ami said, looking at her watch. "We want to make sure we have enough time to organize our books before class starts."

"Organize?" Mina blew a raspberry while leading Akira and thus Serena towards the Shrine gate. "Just throw them into the locker and see where they land."

Ami looked horrified. "Books are our friends. They should be treated with respect. Never mind the fact that those books are school property."

"Never get in-between Ami and her books," Lita warned Akira who wasn't used to Ami's academic enthusiasm.

"Just like never get in-between Serena and a donut," Raye snickered. They were clearly back to teasing one another.

"Ugh, Raye!" Serena whined.

They walked through the streets chattering and bantering until they reached Raye's school—Thomas Aquinas School for Girls. All the girls were dressed in similar grey and red trimmed uniforms. The courtyard had plenty of boys though. They wore charcoal grey pants, white collared shirts, and dark red ties. Perhaps he imagined it, but as a group of boys walked past, they seemed to eye Akira's simple uniform and then smugly whisper something between themselves. Across from Raye's school was St. Michael's Academy for Boys. While the schools were separate, they shared many facilities and participated in school events together.

Raye was in deep conversation with Lita about something until a pack of three girls came walking by. The outside two were quite forgettable, but the middle one seemed to stick out more. She carried herself in a proud and haughty manner and by the way others seemed to step out of the way for her, she seemed to be some kind of queen here.

Raye glanced at her for a moment—Regina Carlson. Raye remembered the day Regina Carlson came to T.A. School for Girls. She was set on becoming some sort of royalty at this school, and within weeks, she managed it. Raye shook her head slightly and almost laughed at the memories. There was a day that Raye was much the same—wanting to be popular and to be a leader. She had it too, that is, until Regina came. Regina took her place and her supposed friends at this school. The girl, in some respects, had to pretend to be Raye in order to gain success. People accepted the change quickly enough. She supposed it was easily enough—they were rather similar. They both had with long black hair and possessed similar names—Regina and Raye. But by the time Regina stole the crown, Raye didn't care anymore. She let it go without a fight. Now, Raye was just a quiet figure within the walls of this school, but she learned to like it that way.

As Regina passed however, her chocolate eyes racked up, and took in a full examination of those before her. Everyone said her gaze felt like she was sizing people up to see if they were worthy or if they were dust beneath her shoes. Her cold gaze remained the same as she looked at the group of girls, but a wily grin appeared on her face as she saw Akira. She didn't say anything however as she continued to walk, but she let her eyes meet his and kept them there until she walked completely by.

Mina shivered. "Oooh, cold!"

"Yeah," Lita uttered, still watching the girl. "Tell me about it."

"Pay no attention to her," Raye said. "She's a real…" The girls glanced at her for a moment, expecting her to come out with some profanity. After all, it was Raye who swore the most. But, she knew she was back at her Catholic school—the place where she received many monetary fines for her bad language. "…charmer," Raye finally said.

Lita smirked. "Charmer."

Raye bid her friends goodbye then headed off towards her school with her head held high. Once she got a fair distance from them, Akira spoke up.

"Bye, Princess!"

She didn't turn around, but even from a distance, it was easy to see her wince.

Serena turned to Akira, "You're amazing, you know that, right?"

Akira only smirked as he saw the raven-haired girl march off furiously in the distance.

After Raye disappeared into the building, they left and headed for 10th Juuban District High School.

* * *

They stood along the fence, interlacing their fingers between the diamond shaped wires, as they watched the courtyard fill with students. Their presence went unnoticed, but they noticed everything about the courtyard.

"You look like an idiot," The man with fiery red hair laughed.

His companion, the man with shaggy purple hair did not respond. He stood wearing the same outfit that the other young men were wearing all across the courtyard—dress shoes, navy blue slacks, and a white short-sleeved button up shirt. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses. He didn't need them, but it was a part of the disguise. He put them on and brushed his purple locks to the side.

"You sure have a funny way of doing things," Draco said.

The purple haired man seemed unfazed by this. "You have your way of doing things, and I have mine, Draco."

Draco laughed again. It was an obnoxious laugh to the other man's senses, but still, he remained silent. Draco pointed to the opposite corner of the courtyard. There were some male students waving around kendo swords. "There's my next target," He said, pointing at the one who seemed to lead the crowd of boys.

"Well," The man said dryly. "Good luck with that." He reached down and picked up his new school bag. Printed on the name tag, it said Orion Nakamura. Half of that was true. His name really was Orion, but the family name, it meant nothing—it was just something he saw in a magazine. He had no family. When the bell ran, he walked away from the fence and from his fiery acquaintance and joined the procession heading into the school.

* * *

It was a good thing she already finished the book a few weeks ago because Ami Mizuno had trouble concentrating in the few spare moments before class. It was her habit of reviewing her notes and textbooks in the spare minutes before class, but today, it was difficult. The fact that they had been so unprepared for the encounter with General Draco still echoed in her mind—not that it helped that she watched what little video footage her supercomputer was able to catch over and over again. Somewhere, there had to be an answer about this new enemy.

She sighed. If she would have been more prepared, perhaps Raye wouldn't have been in such a grave situation. It was a frightening thing—almost seeing the lights leave a friend's eyes. She shook her head. No, it wasn't all her fault, but she sure was going to be prepared for next time. Ami always believed that if one searched hard enough and studied long enough, the answers could be found—she just had to discipline herself and not give up.

"Please! Like I would want to join a club of unsophisticated brutes!"

Ami snapped out of her thoughts and noticed a piece of paper being passed around the classroom. It was an advertisement to the martial arts club on campus. She leaned over in her seat and saw words like _kendo, karate, _and_ judo_. "May I have that, please?" Ami spoke up politely. Perhaps this would be an opportunity worth exploring to make herself stronger.

The boys passing it around stopped chattering as Ami presented her request. They looked absolutely baffled—Ami Mizuno interested in martial arts? No sooner than when they handed it to her, the teacher walked into the classroom. Everyone straightened up and greeted the Sensei, except for one student. Ami couldn't help but notice this as she tucked the flyer away in her notebook. This class had been together for three years, but she had never seen that person before. And even more interesting was the fact that the other students bowed to their Sensei, but this student ignored her.

The Sensei began with one of those usual '_it's the beginning of the school year'_ lectures, but Ami found herself studying the new student instead. Something was unusual about him, but she couldn't figure out what. There was a strange aura about him—a strange energy—but what was it? She pressed her fist into her cheek as she looked over at him two desks away. His shaggy purple locks fell just over the top his glasses as he leaned over to furiously scribble into a small notebook.

"He's actually pretty cute," Ami thought to herself. But almost immediately after, she shot straight up in her seat while redness washed all over her face. What was wrong with her! She never said things like that! She blinked for a few moments, trying to get herself to focus. Goodness, she had been hanging around Mina and Serena too much—they were the ones who always said things like that, not her. Ami grabbed her pencil, turned forward in her seat, and began to pay full attention to the teacher. That boy clearly did not have any respect for his teachers otherwise he would not be doodling in his notebook while the teacher was speaking. "There's nothing cute about him or his behavior," Ami silently reassured herself as she willed herself to focus.

* * *

"This is a really good idea, Ami," Lita said, as the group of four friends walked down the hallway after school. "We can still be involved with school and our classmates and train our bodies as well."

Mina nodded in agreement. "I heard the club captain is already a third degree black belt. Perhaps we can learn some new moves from him."

"I'm really happy we can do something tangible at this moment in time to prepare for the next attack," Ami said.

Serena must have still been shaken up from Raye's attack because she didn't argue about joining a club—which would cut into her after-school free time immensely. She quietly and calmly agreed to check out the club with her friends.

They headed into the sports and recreation building and went straight to the locker rooms. They took a few minutes to change into sports attire then they entered the matted room reserved for the martial arts club. They stepped into a hot and sweaty room full of guys. Everywhere they looked somebody was sparring with somebody using some form of martial art.

Awkward wasn't even the word to describe it. Boys started grabbing for their shirts as they noticed the presence of the girls. They did get a few stares at first, but soon, everyone's attention was turned towards a fight across the room. The girls looked over to the source of the commotion.

"Hey, it's Akira!" Serena said, pointing.

"It is," Lita said, mouth agape.

The blonde shrine boy leapt back and forth striking between three attackers. They would not wait patiently to attack him one at a time, but they would charge him all at once. It didn't matter though. He was able to keenly dodge them, block their attacks, and counter with his own. It wasn't much longer until the three were down and giving up.

"Well fought," A thunderous clap echoed through the room. The girls recognized this person—Fujimoto Kenta, captain of the club. He walked up to Akira and threw his arm around Akira's shoulders. "Please tell me you're joining."

"I'll have to think about it. I have a job as well." Akira said.

"Come on, I'll get you a permission form." Kenta let Akira towards the door where the girls were standing. Akira noticed them immediately and greeted them.

"Wow, Akira, you're so talented," Mina said, loudly.

He seemed a little embarrassed from the praises she emitted. "Well, I…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "…just tried my best….that's all."

"You seem to be well versed in martial combat. What styles have you studied?" Ami asked.

"Karate, judo, aikido, kendo, iaido, and kyudo." He counted them off with his fingers.

The Captain glanced back and forth between the girls and Akira. He reached down for a file folder by the door and handed a piece of paper to Akira. "Have your parents sign this. If not, I'll be giving them a call. We could use someone like you."

Akira looked uncomfortable for a moment at the mention of "parents" then bowed and walked out of the room.

Kenta, the Captain, turned to the girls. His smile diminished a little as he glanced over them. "Ladies, what can I do for you?"

"We're here to join the martial arts club," Mina said, pulling out a flyer.

Kenta nodded. "I see," He looked around for a moment. The room was clearly filled with men. "Ladies, I don't mean to sound forward or rude when I say this, but this is not the club to join if you're just looking for a boyfriend. We take martial arts very seriously…"

"So do we," Lita said.

A few minutes later Kenta saw just how seriously these girls took martial arts when Lita started throwing guys twice her size across the room. Mina would strike at her sparring partners from safe distances using her long flexible legs and springing air attacks. Ami, smart and calculating, read her enemy's moments, formed a plan of attack, and attacked at the right moment—saving precious energy. Even Serena managed to score a few hits off her opponents, but whether they were accidents or not was another story.

Kenta looked impressed as the girls grouped back up after demonstrating their abilities. "I'm sorry I doubted you." He looked over the four girls. "I'd be happy to have you join the club. We're definitely short on the feminine side."

"Are you in the club just to find a girlfriend?" Mina teased.

He looked a little mortified but continued as if nothing happened. "Anyway, here are the permission forms. If you're serious about joining, have your parents sign it and bring it back to me." He looked over them again. "I'm really impressed." He looked at Lita. "Your throwing technique is flawless."

Lita blushed as if someone called her the most beautiful girl in the world. "Oh, thank you."

Kenta looked Mina and Ami. "Both of you have skills that serve you well. He said, "flexibility" when he looked at Mina and "strategy" when he looked at Ami. He then looked to Serena. "And you amaze me most of all."

"What?" Serena chorused with the other girls.

"I've never seen Drunken Master Style in action before," He said, almost misty-eyed. "It looked like you were some dancing drunk, but you showed your opponents otherwise. Genius!"

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Serena nodded. "That's exactly what I was doing!"

The other three tried to keep themselves from laughing. It was true though. Serena was the luckiest person in the world—she could be a total klutz but still manage to achieve some results.

"Well, make sure you get those forms signed."

"We will." They bowed as they left for the girls' locker room.

* * *

It wasn't much later that Kenta was left alone in the room to clean up. He walked around the room looking for trash and scraps of paper. He had to make sure the room was clean for the wrestling team to use tomorrow. As he bent down to pick up a candy wrapper, he heard the large metal door swing open. "Sorry, practice is over for today," He called out.

The door slammed shut, but somehow Kenta knew the person at the door came in rather than leaving. He turned around to see a man with bright red hair standing near the door. "Who are you?" The man looked much too old to be a first year, and Kenta had never seen him at school before—who could forget hair like that?

The man didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a milky white crystal. He held it up. Confusion washed over Kenta's face until a white beam of light shot out of crystal and into Kenta's chest.

* * *

Mina walked out of the shower wrapped in a towel and having her hair wrapped up in another towel like a turban. She joined her friends at the lockers. "Drunken Master," She laughed. "I'm gonna have to tell Raye about that one."

Serena groaned, much like she would when Raye would tease her. "Does she really need to know about this? I mean really, she doesn't even go to our school."

"Yeah, but she likes to be informed," Mina teased again.

"I think it went well, don't you?" Lita said, changing her clothes.

Ami nodded. "I think it will be a great opportunity to hone our abilities. I must confess though that I was surprised to discover that Akira is so well acquainted with martial arts."

"Yeah," Mina said. "I wouldn't have pegged him for the type, but it only makes him all the hotter in my book." She undid the towel from her head. "I suppose he had to get that athletic body somehow."

Lita pondered for a moment, "You know, when he's not teasing Raye, he actually seems like a very gentle soul."

"About _that_," Mina smirked.

Their conversation went dead silent at the sound of a scream. They looked at each other then went digging through their possessions for their transformation items. By the time they ran back into the martial arts room, they were transformed into Soldiers of Love and Justice.

He was back! General Draco, the man with flaming red hair, stood with his milky white crystal held out. Light continued to shoot out from the crystal into the Kenta's body. Just then, the light died down and the Kenta's head hung low.

The General growled, looking upon his defeat. This boy did not exhibit the qualities that he was looking for in a victim.

"Leave that boy alone!" Sailor Moon hollered.

The General turned, noting the presence of the girls in the room. "Again, I'm done with him. If you want to try and interrupt me again, I teach you the same lesson as last time."

"We will not abandon that boy as easily as you have!" Sailor Mercury piped up. She was supposed to be in the back analyzing the target with her supercomputer, but her indignation could stop her from speaking up against such cruelty.

The General glanced over at then boy then looked at the Sailors, noting their worry about the human target. He then grinned and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a dark crystal—similar in size to his white crystal. He extended it and pointed it at the boy.

"NO!" Sailor Venus hollered, but it was too late. The process was fast. Dark energy shot out of the crystal and filled Kenta. His body transformed into a monstrous state. When the transformation was finished, there was the symbol of the dark moon on the monster's forehead. This monster had six arms along with four wooden bokken swords in each hand.

The General looked back over at the terrified Sailors. He gave them a salute and smirk before he disappeared into thin air.

The Sailors did have previous experiences with corrupted humans. Ami announced a plan, "We'll have to spend some time weakening him before Sailor Moon can use her healing attack."

"Right," Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus nodded.

They went to battle. Multiple arms were a wicked problem to have to deal with. Whenever attacks would be sent towards the monster, he furiously waved his six arms with swords to act like a shield. The attacks were deflected. And as Sailor Jupiter discovered, getting close usually meant at least one of those swords giving a swift smack across the face.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance!" shouted Sailor Mars, with a grand entrance, just before firing off one of her golden arrows towards the monster. Perhaps one of her arrows would be faster than the monster's moving arms, but as the arrow approached, the monster raised two of his arms and deflected it.

"You got to be kidding me," Sailor Moon said.

Sailor Mars loaded another arrow and fired it off. The same results happened.

The Sailors regrouped for a moment. "How are we supposed to weaken this thing when we can't even get past its stupid arms?" Sailor Venus said.

"Hey, remember, that's Kenta," Sailor Moon said. "We've got to be careful as well."

"That thing's a person?" Sailor Mars asked, not knowing because she arrived late to the scene.

"Yes," Sailor Mercury nodded. "Draco did this to him."

It was then that the door opened to the room once again. Standing there with a stoic look on his face, a man in a tuxedo with a crescent moon upon his forehead unsheathed his katana.

"Tuxedo Samurai," Sailor Mars breathed.

The tuxedoed warrior did not take the time to chat. Instead he leapt forward, at an almost blinding speed, and started slashing at the monster. The monster and the tuxedo dueled furiously, a storm of silver and wood slashing through the air. Soon, however, the metal overcame the wood, and six sliced ends of wooden swords fell to the ground.

Tuxedo Samurai leapt back towards the Sailors, leaving the monster isolated. The Sailors didn't even need to be told once. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars shot off attacks towards the monster. This time, there was no means for the monster to defend. It took two hard blows before Sailor Moon arose with her healing attack.

White light shot out from Sailor Moon's attack and washed over the monster. Soon, a retransformation took place, and the monster converted back into a boy. The boy dropped to his knees with a loud moan. It was Sailor Mercury who ran forward first to check on the boy. "He's alright!" Sailor Mercury hollered over to her friends. "He's got a steady pulse."

"Oh, thank goodness," Sailor Venus said, clasping her hands together.

The masked warrior turned towards the door, but he was stopped by the voices of the Sailor Scouts. "Wait a minute! You can't just go running off like that all the time," Sailor Moon said. He didn't seem to care what any of them said until Sailor Mars asked him to stay with a pleading tone in her voice. It was only then that he turned from the door and faced the Sailors.

"Do you know who is behind these attacks?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

Tuxedo Samurai shook his head. "I know very little. I suspect I even know less than you do," He said in a sorrowful undertone.

"What _do_ you know then?" Sailor Venus asked.

"Yes, any data—no matter how trivial—could prove invaluable to us."

He looked away, golden locks failing over his mask. "I only know one thing."

"And that is?" Sailor Mars asked.

He turned his gaze towards her. "I'm supposed to protect you,"

"Protect us?" Sailor Mars questioned.

"No, protect _you_." He kept looking at her. It made her a bit uncomfortable as the eyes behind that white mask stared her down, and along with it, her friends stared too after a comment like that from him. After everyone in the room exchanged lots of awkward glances, Tuxedo Samurai turned back towards the door and left the room.

* * *

His left hand came up to his forehead. He had such a headache. It was dark and quiet. Only the sound of one buzzing lamp flickering on the other side of the room filled his ears. The smell of sweat and urine hung in the air. He looked around. He was in the boy's locker room. He was sitting on the floor with his back pressed into a locker. Slowly, he stood up off the cold floor and stretched, feeling like he had been asleep forever. When he got a look at the clock, it almost had been forever—it was 10:30pm. Akira quickly grabbed his things and left the school hoping that the janitors hadn't locked up for the night.

He rushed back to the Hikawa Shrine as fast as he could. When he arrived home, Master Himura sat at the kitchen table eating some rice cakes. "How was school?" The old man offered some rice cakes to Akira. He was confused when Akira claimed not to be hungry.

"Are you sure something isn't wrong?" Grandpa asked. "You're always hungry."

Akira shrugged. "It was a long day."

"I'll say. Lots of homework then, I take it? " The old man asked.

It felt worse than receiving a kick to the stomach to tell a lie, but he did. "Yes, I had lots of homework."

Grandpa nodded. "Well, rest up then. You've had a hard day."

Akira bowed and left the room. Goodness, he felt like a wretch. He lied to the man who was kind enough to take him in after his master died. Yes, he could have stayed in Kyoto, but his master wanted him to come to Tokyo. This man, Master Himura, was kind enough to enable Akira to fulfill Master Ichiro's wish. Now, Akira was telling lies to him.

He walked into the guesthouse and immediately stripped out of his uniform and got into more comfortable clothes. He wearily sat down on his bed. How could he tell his new Master the truth—that he thought he might be having amnesic episodes. He was tired. He flopped down on the bed, carelessly grabbed a blanket and attempted to cover himself, and almost instantly fell asleep.


	6. Information

**Episode Six**

**Information**

It would be difficult to describe how exactly the two realms corresponded. Questions like those were best left to the philosophers and scholars, but even then, they probably could not do it justice. Someway, somehow, the Negaverse was intricately connected to the human realm. It would feed off the dark energy that rose up from the universe, it would conquer and swallow worlds and planets whole, and it would leave nothing but darkness as an aftermath.

The Negaverse was called home by many different types of people and creatures, but they all had one thing in common—an extreme hatred for anything pure or good. For whatever reason they were there in the Negaverse, the ideals of the Negaverse consumed their hearts and made them cruel and cold. These people of the Negaverse often had different factions. Sometimes one would become more powerful than the others and would be able to rally the Negaverse together for a cause. Other times, the Negaverse was an internal battlefield between different groups, ideals, and opinions. Today however, it seemed that one particular person was gaining power rapidly.

It was a curious thing. She was believed to be gone—stripped of any power and left to die and rot within the Negaverse. And yet, she lived. As strong and as healthy as she was before confronting the Sailor Scouts, Queen Beryl sat upon the throne of her courtroom.

Four Generals bowed before her as they waited for their Queen's words. She didn't look pleased as she sat on the throne, but the Generals dared not to look up if they could help it.

First, there was General Draco. A fierce man—perhaps not a bright man—but a fierce and unrelenting man. His locks of wild red hair matched his fiery disposition and burning temper. The man relished battle and every opportunity to conquer. Doing this only made his powers of Starfire burn brighter and hotter within him.

The second General seemed like a doll. Her blend between girlish charm and womanly features made her a beautiful prize—but to those who knew her secrets, a deadly enemy. She was born with the power of Starbeauty—able to ensnare the senses of others and bend them to her will and desire. Lyra was a natural seductress with her cotton candy pink hair, shapely body, and poisonously sweet charm.

Next was Aludra. Although she possessed a young body, there was something much older about her presence and aura. She emanated a mystical power and force that few could understand. Merely observing her physical appearance could cause one to severely underestimate her, but anyone who understood her powers of Starmagic would certainly fear her. Her hair was a sky blue color, but silver streaks shone through—the sign of magic running through her veins. It was Aludra who aided Queen Beryl in the use of the dark arts and magical forces.

At the far end was Orion. He was known for his quiet—and perhaps sullen—disposition within Queen Beryl's court. He did not like to discuss, argue, or even participate much, but when he did, there was no denying his keen intellect and eye for strategy. It was his gift—Starskill. Not only was the purple haired man a gifted thinker and strategist, he was talented with martial combat as well. True, he did not contain the physical strength that other opponents had, but his martial ability made up for any lack in power.

These were the four Generals that Beryl looked upon as she sat in her throne. "I see that the search has been unsuccessful," was all she had to say after a long pregnant pause.

"My Queen," Draco began. "I've gone after some targets who showed signs of…"

"Silence!"

Aludra dared to stand up. "My Lady, when the full moon approaches, we can complete the ritual again. And I am studying ways to complete the ritual on a more frequent basis."

"You're not studying hard enough," Queen Beryl's voice was dangerously quiet. "All of you—you're not doing enough. Your actions betray your loyalty!"

"Me?" Draco shot up to his feet. "I've been out there fighting!" He pointed his arm at the other Generals. "They have done nothing!"

"Fighting or fleeing, Draco?" Lyra said, in her usual teasing tone. "By the looks of it, you were running away."

Fire ignited in Draco's palms. "What would you know about it, Lyra? You haven't even tried to find the Moon Prince! I have!"

"For your information, I have a target," Lyra said, smugly.

"How convenient!"

"Enough!" Beryl hollered. "You're supposed to be using your time to be finding the Moon Prince, not squabbling like children!"

"Yes, Queen Beryl." The Generals uttered in unison.

Across Beryl's lap sat a long staff. It was a silver staff that resembled the shape of a key. At the end was a large garnet with a heart embellishment overarching it. Beryl clenched the staff tightly. It was what let her see, with the proper ritual of course, the future. It was what told her to find the Moon Prince—the key to her destruction. Find the Moon Prince and eliminate him—that's what it seemed like she had to do.

It wasn't that easy though. Beryl was aware of the Moon Prince in the past—during the Silver Millennium—but today, she knew nothing. The Generals were in search of this Prince—using moonstones on possible candidates to reveal if they were of moon blood, but they had little to go on in their search for him. They only knew what Beryl could tell them from the past—he was the Prince of the Moon and the Moon's Greatest Champion. He was General of the Armies, and he was renowned for his battle prowess. It seemed impossible to find him now, but she forced her Generals to try anyway—they had to find him at all costs.

The quietest General never arose from his bowing position. Orion knew it was not worth arguing with the others. This task—to find the Moon Prince—was practically impossible. They had virtually no information to go on. He knew Beryl only ordered them to search because of her fear—although he would never speak that thought aloud.

"And Orion's done absolutely nothing!" They were back to fighting.

Orion tore himself away from his thoughts and looked over at the others. Of course, Draco was being an idiot again. He stood up from his bowing position and addressed the courtroom. "I deemed it not wise to attempt an attack until I had observed a proper suspect," Orion said. "Because of your previous encounters, you have alerted the Sailor Scouts to our presence—and for what results? Nothing." Perhaps only Orion could make his lack of action sound so wise and beneficial because Beryl started to scold Draco for his hasty actions that revealed their cause to the Sailors.

"We still should be looking," Lyra said, flipping her pink hair behind her ear. "Queen Beryl has asked us to find the Moon Prince and so we should."

Beryl didn't pay much attention to this flattery attempt. She only gripped onto the staff tighter. "Aludra, when can we complete the ritual again?"

The woman with blue hair spoke up. "In Three days' time, my Queen, the moon will be full once again. If my studies are correct, we can capture moonlight during this time as well then channel it into the viewing crystal at our own convenience. Viewing time through Sailor Pluto's staff then can be done at your will.

Beryl only nodded. "You are dismissed."

Orion, always the first to leave, turned as usual, but just as he turned, Lyra appeared before him. She batted her long dark eyelashes at him for a moment. Stupid girl—when would she learn those tricks would never work on him? "What?"

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" She was still trying to sound cute.

"I think you said it best, _"Queen Beryl has asked us to find the Moon Prince and so we should."_

She laughed at her own words and waved her hand. "Oh, Orion, you're so cute when you're smart." Once she stopped laughing, her tone changed drastically—into something much more deep, seductive, and sinister. "I have a plan to find the Moon Prince,"

"That's nice," He said, flatly.

She continued on, "I've been observing the mortals lately. I believe I have a target worthy of pursuit."

"What's so special about him?"

"Well, he's gorgeous!" Lyra's girlish voice returned.

"Is that all?" He wanted to shake his head—idiots, all idiots.

"We all saw the time flashes from Aludra's ritual," She said. "The Moon Prince is gorgeous, and so my first target is very handsome guy."

Why did he even bother asking he wondered to himself. Of course Lyra would only be interested in how attractive the targets were. "What do you need me for?"

"I just wanted to tell you what a great idea I had." She giggled.

Orion only rolled his eyes and walked away.

* * *

This would not be a pleasure visit as they all walked through the quiet neighborhood. It had been a while since they had come this way into this neighborhood, but with two attacks happening, it was necessary to alert the outer Sailor Scouts. They walked especially quiet to the house, an odd thing for them, but the solemnness of their message hung over them like dark ominous clouds. Something was brewing with in the darkness and would make itself known soon enough.

Finally, they reached the small quiet house tucked away in an adorable and safe neighborhood. None of the neighbors knew however what was the truth inside that house—a girl with the power of rebirth, two female lovers, and a near-immortal guardian of time.

Serena went to the door while the other four hung back. She rang the doorbell and waited, popping up on her tiptoes to amuse herself. It was Michelle who answered the door, dressed in pearls, a turtle neck sweater, and slacks. She greeted Serena kindly, welcoming the visit, but once she saw the other four girls, her countenance changed. She invited them in and led them into the sitting room—a room finely decorated with tasteful furniture, elegant adornments, and beautiful works of art. She bit them to sit while she informed the other members of the house of their presence and to make some tea.

After ten minutes of waiting, Amara finally came down the stairs and entered the sitting room. It wasn't long after that Michelle came back carrying a fine set of china for the tea. She set it down on the glass coffee table and took a seat in order to start preparing tea.

"So how are you?" Serena began.

The two chucked at Serena's inability to cut to the chase. "We _were _doing well before your arrival," Amara said.

"And Hotaru?" Serena accepted the first cup of tea.

"She is well too," Michelle added. "Her strength has grown in the past months. She is actually at soccer practice right now."

"That's wonderful," Serena said. Hotaru must have had great improvements in her civilian life to have the strength to play sports now. Serena took the first sip of hot tea. "And what of Trista?"

"That is part of what bothers us so much about your presence," Amara said.

Serena nearly choked on her tea gasping. The others gasped too, breaking the uncomfortable silence they were in while at the house.

"What's wrong?" Lita asked. "Did something happen to Trista?"

Michelle shook her head. "We don't know." She looked towards the window that caused warm sunlight to flood into the room. "It is natural for Trista to disappear for weeks at a time. We don't know where she goes or what she does when she is away. We don't bother to ask—it's perhaps an unspoken ritual between us."

"She always returns though," Amara said. "But it's been far too long. We were beginning to wonder, and then your appearance here today…disturbs me."

"What?" Mina asked. "I don't understand. Why are you bothered about us?"

"Forgive her, dear," Michelle said to Mina. "Amara alludes to the fact that only when the five of you appear together at our doorstep that sometime sinister is brewing."

Guilty looks appeared on the Sailor's faces. It was true. They only showed up here as a group when there was Sailor business to be had. "Sorry," Serena winced.

"How long has Trista been gone?" Raye asked.

"About three months now," Amara answered.

"And you weren't worried about her at all?" Lita asked.

Michelle finally poured herself a cup of tea and slowly stirred in a spoonful of sugar. "As we have said, Trista's absence was not uncommon. It is only now that we've realized that she's been gone longer than her usual absences warrant, and now, your presence begins to confirm our fears."

"This is bad," Raye said. "I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but something doesn't feel right with this. I think something has happened to Trista."

"How do you know that?" Mina asked.

Raye shook her head then looked up at Amara and Michelle. "Once you said it, I felt sick—so sick inside. It feels true."

Michelle nodded, having a mutual understanding with Raye's six sense. "If that is what you are sensing then we must consider that a high possibility."

Amara let out a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes for a moment. Stress started to wash over that otherwise collected and confident face. "Tell us what you have learned."

Ami pulled out her supercomputer from her school bag. She opened it and began to play the battle footage from the two encounters with General Draco. The whole group watched as the battle replayed before their eyes.

It was the first time Raye saw it since it actually happened. She watched as a fiery axe slashed across her stomach and as her pure white uniform began to stain with red blood. A strange sensation like vomiting came over her, but it was tamed by her friend's hand grabbing hers for comfort. She looked up at a knowing Serena. Sometimes that girl was much smarter than Raye ever gave her credit for.

After the two fights were over, the computer turned off. Ami closed it shut. "As you can see, we have powerful enemy that we are dealing with. They appear to be searching for something specific, but they have made no reference as to what that is yet."

"What kind of stone was that man holding?" Amara asked. "It is very curious."

Ami nodded. "It was a moonstone according to the supercomputer's data collection; however, I am unaware of the magical properties of moonstones at the current time. I have attempted research into it, but there isn't enough data to discover this. Luna and Artemis are assisting us in this question as well. Perhaps their databases will yield some information."

"And who was that other man—the handsome one in the tuxedo? Does Tuxedo Mask have any cute cousins?" Michelle giggled as Amara shot her an annoyed look.

"I know, right?" Mina giggled too.

"We know very little," Ami informed. "He calls himself Tuxedo Samurai. Darien has never seen him though."

"Is he on our side?" Amara asked.

"Apparently so," Lita said. "He helped us fight off the enemy twice, and he healed Raye when she was...hurt." _Hurt_ was all Lita could manage to say.

"And he kissed Raye!" Mina squealed. "He's like her bodyguard or something! He even said…" Mina attempted a masculine voice, "…_I'm here to protect you, Sailor Mars. I'm your knight in shining armor..." _She stopped the man voice. "…well, actually, in _tuxedo_! But who cares?"

"Oh, he didn't say it like that!" Raye hissed.

"He might as well have said it like that! That's what he meant!" Mina said.

"Hmmm," Michelle playfully smirked while she stirred her tea. "Seems like someone has a secret admirer then—and a handsome one at that."

Amara only made a gruff noise of disgust, but Michelle looked over at her lover. "But not as handsome as my admirer." Amara sat back into the deep chair and a small smirk crept upon her face.

Raye however only looked embarrassed. Hopefully, they would not have to broach upon the subject of her dreams. She was still trying to figure that out herself. What did dreaming about the masked fighter mean for her? What did it mean that this masked fighter seemed to profess concern and feelings for her—in both her dreams and in reality?

Serena changed the subject, and for the second time that day, Raye was eternally grateful to the blonde—who could have imagined it? Now they were talking about what the next steps should be to retrieve information and to start looking for Trista.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

They walked home as evening fell over Tokyo. Raye moved a bit slower than the others with so many thoughts and questions weighing her down. Ami walked while reading a book, and Lita and Mina were gabbing about some new movie. It was in that still moment that Serena hung back from the conversation about the movie and started to walk in step with Raye. The two locked arms and walked silently for a moment.

"You alright?" Serena asked, only loud enough for Raye to hear.

"Yeah," Raye breathed with a sigh.

It wasn't much longer until they reached the intersection where they all would part ways. As they turned to say goodbye, they noticed Serena and Raye's arms locked together.

"Aren't you going home, Serena?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna head over to Raye's first. I want to borrow a manga." She said.

"Oh, alright," Mina said. "We'll see you at school then,"

"Right," Serena nodded and bowed to her friends.

Lita turned back. "Don't oversleep, bunny." She winked.

"I won't make promises I can't keep." She said. The three girls only giggled as they walked away from the intersection towards their homes.

"What do you want, Serena?" Raye asked.

"I told you; I want to borrow a manga."

They continued towards the Hikawa Shrine at first in silence until Serena spoke up. "What's on your mind, Raye?"

"Those dreams," She muttered bitterly

"Are they worse?"

Raye shrugged. "No, but they don't make any damn sense."

Serena could only nod her head. "What bothers you about it?"

"Ha!" Raye laughed. "What doesn't? I'm dreaming about some guy before I even met him, and he's telling me he…" She couldn't finish that.

"Are you alright?" Serena worried about her friend.

"What do you think it means, Serena?" Raye said. Her voiced sounded much like a scared child desperately wanting some security to cling onto.

Serena pondered for a moment. "I don't know if I can answer that, Raye. But, I do remember the feeling."

"What?" Raye was confused.

Serena went a bit starry eyed, but it wasn't exactly like her usual ditzy self—there was something serious in there. "I remember when I met Tuxedo Mask for the first time. There was something mysterious—something pulling at me from deep inside. And then there was Darien—goodness, he seemed like such a jerk—but, there was a pulling there too. Something strange and confusing was happening. I felt like everything I experienced was true, but how was it all possible at the same time—but then I discovered it. Darien and Tuxedo Mask and Prince Endymion—they were all the same person. It seemed impossible, but my heart knew it was true. My heart knew it before my head certainly did."

"But, Serena, what does that mean?" Raye still looked conflicted and confused.

"All I'm saying is that destiny has a way of working itself out—even through the impossible. Someday, this is all going to make sense," Serena said.

"Promise?" Raye bit her lip.

"Yes, I'm sure of it." Serena said. They arrived at the Shrine. They looked up the long flight of stairs towards the top of the hill.

"Well, come on. Let's get you your manga." Raye said. They ascended the long flight of stairs in the darkness. The Shrine was now closed and empty. Only the lights from the house filled the darkness of the Shrine grounds. They came into the warm house and removed their shoes.

Grandpa's voice began to holler, "Raye, dinner's ready! Get in here!"

"Yeah, Princess, get in here before I eat your shrimp!" Akira added.

Raye only rolled her eyes at the sound of Akira's voice. "I swear I'm going to poison your dinner one of these days if you keep calling me that!" She yelled back.

Akira's laughter filled the house.

Raye and Serena headed into the kitchen. Grandpa perked up quite a bit at Serena's presence, and he passed her a set of chopsticks. Akira only waved at them since his mouth was already full of rice. Raye and Serena sat down at the table and began to eat. It wasn't long before Serena was matching Akira's eating pace. Raye and Grandpa were already adjusted to this behavior so they ate calmly as if nothing was wrong.

"So are you enjoying school, Akira?" Serena said between mouthfuls of noodles.

The boy nodded and swallowed. "Yes, it's good," He said positively. "I like my classes, met a few friends, and master was gracious enough to let me join the martial arts club." Akira gave an appreciated nod to Raye's grandfather to which the old man responded back with a similar gesture.

"Hmmm," Serena said, again between mouthfuls. "I'll be joining the martial arts club too. Perhaps you can teach me a few moves? I saw you! You were great!"

Akira looked just as embarrassed as when Mina praised him for his abilities. "Well, I guess, we could train together sometime."

"So you're a martial artist?" Raye said, using her distant and mildly amused voice. It was a bit unintentional, but it was such a habit that it came out a little too naturally.

"Yeah, Raye, he's really good!" Serena exclaimed. "You should watch him sometime." She looked back to Akira. "How'd you get to be so good?"

Akira shrugged. "I've been doing it as long as I can remember." A small smile came across his face as memories flooded his mind. "Master Ichiro said that I was always like that. He used to tell everyone a story about when I first picked up a stick."

"A stick?" Raye's eyebrow shot up.

Akira couldn't help but keep smirking. "I swear it was master's favorite story. I don't remember it, but he says I picked up a stick and wacked him across the legs with it when I was only two."

"I remember that story," Grandpa said. "Ichiro said it knocked him flat on the ground. And I also recall Ichiro saying, and I do quote, "_I wacked that boy right across the buttocks with that same stick."_

Akira nodded fervently as Grandpa quoted Master Ichiro flawlessly. Everyone, including Raye, had a laugh about it.

"Anyway, Akira, you'll have to help me in the club," Serena said. "And it'll be good to actually see you."

"What do you mean?" Raye was confused. "You go to the same school."

"Yeah, but Akira's in upper level classes," Serena waved her hand to the air. "He's even got some classes with Ami."

A strange look appeared on Raye's face.

"What?" Akira noticed it right away.

"Nothing," She smirked. "You're just always acting like an idiot. I wouldn't have expected you to be in any advanced classes."

Most people would have been offended but Akira only grinned. "Not everyone can be as smart as you, Princess."

She continued to smirk turning her attention back to her dinner.

Serena glanced back and forth between the two for a moment then continued eating.

After dinner was finished and the table and dishes were taken care of, Raye led Serena to her bedroom. Serena stood in the doorway as Raye went furiously on the hunt for something in her closet.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for the manga I know you want to borrow."

"Oh, that. I had forgotten all about that."

Raye stood up in the closet and looked back out towards Serena. "You didn't come over for a manga, did you?"

Serena shrugged with a smile. "You looked like you needed a friend."

"Yeah, alright." Raye stepped out of the closet.

"But I didn't say that I wouldn't borrow the manga if you offered it to me."

Raye rolled her eyes turned back into the closet. Truthfully though, she was very grateful for Serena today and didn't mind digging around in the cluttered closet for her.

Serena opened the door leading to the porch outside. The cool night air flooded into the room. She breathed in the fresh scent of autumn as she stood there. "Really though, Raye, I don't think you need to worry about this Tuxedo Samurai thing."

"I hope you're right," Raye said, walking out of the closet with a book in her hand.

"You know," Serena said with a devilish grin.

That grin made Raye withhold giving the book.

"I'm starting to wonder if you shouldn't forget this Tuxedo Samurai thing."

"And why is that?" Raye crossed her arms.

The blonde started to giggle a bit like her usual teasing self. "Oh, I think there might be something going on between you and a certain apprentice…"

"What do you-?" Raye stopped dead in her tracks—Akira. Instantly, her cheeks started to burn red hot while cluttered and confused words started pouring out of her mouth. "I don't…I don't think…it's not…what…I…mean…he…no…its…no…" Frustrated, she gave up on words and let off an angered and exasperated lament. "SE-RE-NA!" She finally managed to growl.

"What?" Serena exclaimed defensively. "I just think it's really cute how you guys interact. It's like you read each other perfectly sometimes."

"Serena." Raye closed her eyes, trying not to let her temper get the best of her. "We're not going there. You got it?" She turned away. Goodness, she hated how fast she was approaching tears. "I've learned my lesson with the last apprentice. It isn't going to happen again." Raye crossed her arms.

Serena's look of teasing delight immediately washed away. She understood the gravity of Raye's circumstance and the emotion behind it. "Raye, I'm sorry…I didn't mean."

"Goodnight, Serena." Raye put the comic book in Serena's arms and gave the blonde a firm push into the cold night air. The door quickly closed behind her. Serena stood out on the dark porch of the Shrine alone, clinging onto the book, for a few moments. "Raye, I'm sorry."

Raye heard the apology but could not respond. She sat on the floor leaning against her bed as the tears came flowing down.

Serena walked home.


	7. VOX

**Sorry. I was having major writer's block for a few weeks. I think I am satisfied with the results now. It's a long episode, but I hope you all enjoy it!-Espiritu Invictus**

* * *

**Episode Seven**

**VOX**

Mina was completely obvious to the outside world—dangerously so. With a pair of headphones on and the music cranked up to maximum volume, Mina walked home after school not at all paying attention to the street traffic. You would think almost getting hit by a bus would make a person turn the music off and pay more attention—but not Mina. She just continued to bop her head to the beat while people scolded her for her immature behavior. It didn't matter though. She couldn't hear what they were screaming at her anyway. She just smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and continued on her way.

_"You blow my mind, girl. You rock my world, girl. You stole my heart, girl,_" She sang along to the ballad with her eyes closed tightly. There he was, in her mind's eye, singing only to her—one hand outstretched to her and the other resting gently over his heart. He was on his knees, pouring out and professing his love to her through song. It was enough to make a girl swoon.

Her eyes jerked back open though. The loud crack of a jackhammer on cement was enough to break through the romantic song blaring through her headphones. She looked around, noting that this particular street was having some construction work done. How dare they interrupt her song with their work? Mina only let loose a sigh then continued to sing along.

Finally, she reached her charming and quiet little neighborhood. Laughter filled the neighborhood as children played without a care in the world. Mina stopped in front of her family's house to get the mail. She pulled the large stack of letters out of the box and closed it. Most of it—as usual—was for her parents: electricity bill, a letter from her father's company, a notice from her mother's book club, and a magazine. The magazine was hers—_Teen Pop_.

She opened the gate to the small yard and kicked it closed behind her. Finally, she took the headphones off and let them rest around her neck. While she walked up to the door, she started flipping through the magazine: _fashion tips for fall, new eye shadow techniques, an interesting quiz about dating shy men, and…_

Letters flew everywhere. Mina screamed. All the birds quickly scattered out of the nearby trees, children ceased their playing, and people came curiously out of their houses to see what happened. Mina, however, kept running around the yard and screaming excitedly.

"Are you alright ma'am?"

Mina stopped dead in her tracks. Two police officers stood outside the gate of her yard. She blushed. How long had she been screaming in order for the police to arrive? "Um, no problem here, sorry!" She scratched the back of her head.

"Well, alright then," One of the officers said, unkindly. "Just keep it down."

"Yes," Mina winced. "Sorry."

After assuring the police that there was no problem, Mina fell back into the cool grass of her family's yard and looked up towards the puffy white clouds in the blue sky with the magazine clenched to her chest. This had to be a dream—a wonderful dream. She reached up and pinched her cheek. It hurt! Magnificent! It wasn't a dream!

She held up the magazine, blocking her face from the bright sun. Ah, there he was—the object of her affection—VOX. Plastered all over a two page spread, the handsome young man posed for various pictures in different outfits. In one, the black haired boy wore a tank top and harem pants while spinning a basketball on his finger. In another, he pushed the knot of a tie in place with grin on his face. His hair was wild, fierce and dark, his eyes were a rich chocolate brown, and his boyish demeanor almost made her swoon. It was as if her dreams came true—VOX was coming to Tokyo. Not only that, there would be a special prize as well to the person with the right ticket—a chance to meet with VOX backstage. This day couldn't get any better!

She pulled the headphones on again and closed her eyes as the warm sun kissed her skin. The daydream instantly came back into her view. There he was—VOX—singing his heart out to her as she stood before him. He reached out and took her hand in his while he professed his love through song. But soon, the tape finished and gave a click to signal its finish. She released a sigh of contentment. The object of her affection would be so close, and the chance to meet him could be close too. Quickly, she did a complete kick-up in her school uniform and dashed excitedly into the house. She had work to do!

* * *

"Are you serious?" Serena gasped.

"Yes!" Mina squealed.

Both girls started to scream until both sets of parents on both ends yelled at their daughters to keep it down. The girls were silent for a moment until they started giggling again.

"How? When? Where?" Serena rattled off like a maniac.

Mina had to take a deep breath in order to speak properly. "He's coming to Tokyo this weekend for an outdoor concert. And get this—there's going to be a drawing! The person with the lucky ticket will get to meet VOX in person after the concert!"

"That's awesome," Serena said.

Mina sighed. "I have to get that ticket, Serena. I just have to meet him!"

"How are you going do that?"

Mina sighed again. "I don't know, but I just have to get it! I have to meet VOX! My life would be—incomplete—if I didn't."

"Aren't you being a tad bit dramatic?" Serena asked. Both Serena and Mina paused for a moment, blinking. Both of them couldn't believe something like _that _would ever out of Serena's mouth. After a moment of shock, they both laughed.

"I can't believe it! VOX is coming here!" Mina said again.

Both girls started squealing again, but were both shot dirty looks from their families a second time.

"Anyway," Mina breathed. "Tickets will go on sale tomorrow at 6am."

"6am?" Serena moaned. The only thing that could dampen her spirits at this moment was a need to get up early in the morning.

"Serena," Mina scolded. "If we are loyal and true fans of VOX then we need to get up no matter what the time and show our support by buying a ticket. Besides, it's always said, '_the early bird gets the pot of gold.'" _

"Huh?" Serena said, knowing that wasn't quite right, but not remembering how it originally went. "Anyway, I suppose you're right." Serena nodded into the phone.

"We need to get everyone together so we can get the tickets tomorrow."

"Yeah, but," Serena said. "Couldn't you just get the tickets and give them to us at school tomorrow?" Serena's brain could think of ingenious ideas whenever her sleeping, eating, or video game playing depended on it.

"No can do," Mina said. "Only one ticket per person, and besides, it's an honor to stand for hours in the cold morning to get tickets to see VOX."

"Right," Serena said, sounding a little unconvinced. However, she did want one of those tickets so she put on her brave face and pushed forward. "What should we do next?"

"I'll call Lita and Ami and tell them what's up. You can call Raye…"

"Er, do I have to?" Serena winced. "She's kind of mad at me."

Mina laughed. "She's always mad at you."

Serena forced a hollow laugh. "Yeah, I guess, but could you still call her?"

"Hmmm," Mina said, playfully. "You must have screwed up pretty big then. _Alright_, I'll call Raye. You call Lita and Ami, okay?"

"Yes, alright. Thanks, Mina."

"I'll get back to you later tonight about where we're meeting tomorrow morning," Mina said. "Okay, bye!"

"Bye." Serena put down the phone and rejoined her family around the dinner table.

* * *

Much to Serena's dismay, they were meeting up at Raye's house that morning. Serena walked along the deserted streets during the twilight hours. She hadn't talked to Raye since they began fighting—well, it wasn't really fighting. They just weren't talking to each other. It really wasn't even that dramatic—they weren't even in any position to talk to each other. They went to different schools, lived in different neighborhoods, and there hadn't been any recent Sailor business. Still, Serena dreaded marching up the long stairway to the Hikawa Shrine as much as she dreaded being up that early in the morning.

Her friends were already waiting for her, sitting outside Raye's bedroom dressed and ready to go. The girls turned from their conversations and looked at Serena. Raye looked at her watch. "Imagine that—Serena's actually on time. I think hell just froze over."

"Oh, shut up, Raye." Serena looked away, wide smile creeping across her face. Everything was going to be okay between them.

Ami took a look at her watch. "We'll need to get going in the next fifteen minutes if we want to arrive at the designated time."

"Why didn't you just have us meet fifteen minutes later?" Serena asked.

Mina shrugged, holding up her hands. "None of actually expected you to show up on time. We built in a few extra minutes as a precaution."

"Oh, thanks guys!" Serena hissed.

"It doesn't matter. We're all here now." Lita said.

By the minute, sunlight started flooding the courtyard and the birds began chirping their melodious songs. One of the sliding doors on the property opened up and moments later, a sleepy looking Akira wandered down the deck. He stopped for a moment to rub his eyes then looked up at the five girls already dressed and ready for the day.

"What are you all doing here?" He said amidst a yawn and stretch.

"We're getting tickets for VOX!" Mina exclaimed a little too loudly, again scaring all the birds out of the trees.

Akira stood for a moment with a blank expression on his face. "What's VOX?"

The five girls instantly fell dead silent.

"_What's VOX_?" Mina could barely choke out a few moments later. "You mean, _who's VOX?_ Why he's only the most gorgeous, handsome, attractive, good-looking, beautiful…"

"A little on the vain side, Mina?" Raye asked, rolling her eyes. "He's a very famous singer." Raye clarified for Akira.

"Oh," was all Akira could say with a shrug.

"And he's a fashion model," Lita added.

"And a movie star," Serena piped up.

"He also has the largest fan club in Japan right now," Ami said, then blushed once all eyes fell on her. "I read it in the newspaper."

"He's…coming…here…to Tokyo…ahhhhh…." Mina looked like she died and ascended to heaven.

The girls all nodded enthusiastically.

"You too, Princess?" Akira asked, looking skeptically at the raven haired girl.

She nodded, "Yes, of course." She smirked playfully. "Why, are you jealous?"

The boy had to bite his lip in order not to smirk, but it didn't work very well. "Well yes, I suppose I would be jealous of someone who didn't have to do your share of the chores this morning."

"Oh, why are you kidding yourself," Raye waved her hand and turned away from him, but she looked back over her shoulder as she stepped down from the porch. "You_ like_ chores." She turned her face away from him, but smirked, knowing she left him dumbfounded. "Come on, girls. We've got tickets to purchase."

Akira only crossed his arms and he watched the girls walk away.

* * *

They thought their dedication was extraordinary, being willing to get up before dawn and wait out in the cold for tickets, but they were not the only ones. Oh no, it seemed as if half of Tokyo turned up for this event—well, that is the female members of the Tokyo population. There wasn't a male in sight. By the thousands, teenage girls flooded the ticket vendors all over the city scrambling for a chance to see VOX in concert and perhaps be the lucky one to meet him in person.

As she stood in the cold, bouncing slightly to keep warm, Mina kept both sets of fingers crossed. The other girls however stood tired and quiet patiently waiting for their turn. Ami passed her time with a book. Serena and Raye just stood like zombies. Mina, however, seemed to be mouthing something with her lips while she bounced. Lita, who had left the group for a moment, came back with hot chocolates from a nearby café. Cold and eager hands quickly grabbed the hot drinks.

"Bet they're making a killing. The line was about as long as this one." Lita said, explaining her long absence. Mina didn't take her drink, instead she kept bouncing. "What are you doing?" Lita looked at Mina like she was crazy.

Mina glanced over but continued to bounce. "I've got to keep my fingers crossed. I need to get the special ticket."

"You might as well not worry about it," Raye said. "Nobody will know if their ticket is special until the night of the concert."

"Yes, that's right," Ami agreed. "There is no profit in torturing yourself over something you cannot control."

Serena took a happy gulp of her hot chocolate, holding both hands around the cup. "If you're the one meant to meet VOX, then it'll happen. Don't worry about it."

Lita smirked. "I'm kind of surprised you're not doing the same thing," She said to Serena. "I've seen those VOX pictures in your locker."

The girl shrugged and took another sip of her drink before answering. "Sure, I like VOX. I love his music and all—the things he says—but they don't make me love _him_. They make me love Darien all the more. The words to the songs—they just remind me how much I already am in love." And it was at the end of that when four airy sighs escaped from her companions.

"Oh, Serena," Mina seemed to moan. "You are so lucky!"

Lita nodded fervently. "I hope we all can be that lucky someday."

"The story of our Princess rivals some of the greatest fairy tales I have ever read," Ami added.

Raye glanced away, looking into the massive crowds, pretending to study something else. As much as she would hate to admit it, she felt the same way too. If it were at all possible to have something like Serena has…oh, goodness, an uncomfortable feeling started to swirl in her stomach as the masked fighter in her dreams came to her mind's eye. She was pulled back into the conversation and the real world at the sound of her name.

"I think if anyone has something interesting going on, it's Raye," Mina said, playfully, moments before.

Raye blinked. She still hadn't come back into reality yet. "Pardon?"

"Oh, don't play coy," Mina grinned like a little mischievous elf.

"What?" Raye was still confused.

Serena glanced back and forth between the two. She knew where this was going.

"Actually, she has _two_ things going on," Lita said, jumping in on the fun.

Mina nodded fervently at this. "You're right!"

Raye put her hands on her hips. "What are you two blabbering about?"

Mina crossed her arms and waggled her finger knowingly. "First of all, you have a mysterious protector who saves your life and kisses you."

"And second," Lita teased. "You have a shrine apprentice, and both you can't seem to stop flirting with each other every chance you get."

Raye's face went as red as Mars. "That is absolutely…entirely…extremely…"

"Conceivable? Plausible? Probable? " Ami finished on Raye's behalf, not looking up from her book, but still smirking.

Nostrils flared. Raye sharply turned away from her friends and stared forward. "We are not discussing this here! Actually, we are not discussing it ever! And I do mean, ever! Like _as in the entire history of the universe_ ever!"

Her friends only laughed at her poutiness. "Whatever you say, Raye," Lita said.

They continued to wait for a few moments, but finally, the line took a massive leap forward and the girls were propelled much closer to the ticket counter.

"Oh, what a relief," Ami sighed, looking at her watch. "We've only got another forty-five minutes before we need to leave for school."

"School doesn't start for another hour."

"We can neither forget the preparation needed before class nor the time that it takes to walk there," Ami reminded them."

"Oh, I sure can forget," Serena said.

Mina squealed when the line jumped forward once again. "We're almost there!"

Another few minutes passed. A large group left the ticket counter and left an empty gap between the girls and the ticket counter. The woman at the ticket counter looked up while holding up a ticket. Mina and her locked eyes for a moment, and then Mina looked to the ticket. Her heart skipped a beat. This was it! This had to be the winning ticket! Gingerly, she stepped forward and stretched out her hand to claim the prize.

Moments before Mina would grab the ticket, an old woman stepped in front of her and grabbed the ticket from the lady at the counter. Mina slammed into the old woman's backside and felt to the ground. Mina's backside hit the cold pavement hard. She looked up at the old woman in front of her. "What the hell, lady?" Came flying out of Mina's mouth.

Mina's friends all covered their mouths simultaneously. They might have expected language like that to come out of Raye or even Lita's mouth when she was angry, but not Mina—never mind the fact that Mina used it on an old grandma.

The woman turned around, pulling her walker in tow and still holding onto the ticket that should rightfully be Mina's. "You were standing around gawking, and people got tickets to buy. I wasn't going to be waiting around for some fool girl!"

Mina sprung up from the ground but was instantly held back by Ami and Raye. She nearly jerked out of their grasps so Lita had to reach out and aid her strength to the restraint. "You're nothing but a rude, bitter, old…"

"Mina!" Raye hissed, in order to shut the girl up. Silence fell over everyone, but Mina and the old woman continued to stare at each other with eyes of daggers. Finally the old woman walked away, pushing her walker along, but she continued to give the _evil eye_ to Mina.

"Of all the nerve!" Mina brushed off the dirt from falling to the ground. She then marched up to the ticket counter and purchased her ticket. While the others bought their tickets, she stood mumbling incoherent threats and insults. Finally, everyone had what they came for—tickets to see VOX.

Finally, someone recognized what Mina was saying, "If that woman cost me a chance to see VOX…"

"It'll be alright," Lita patted her friend on the back. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

It was absolutely disgusting—the way they fawned over him like some sort of god. Mortals were weak and pathetic and if anything confirmed that prejudice in him, it was this—watching teenage girls by the thousands go crazy over one man. He stood high above on one of the nearby buildings watching the scene below. The screams of overzealous girls even rose up to his height, but it only served to grate upon his nerves. He was alone, but then she appeared.

She appeared right next to him and immediately turned her attention to the same thing. She smiled at the scene below. "What do you think of my target?" She asked, with a playful giggle.

Orion turned from the scene below and looked at Lyra. He was never one to answer quickly without thinking first. He only looked at her for a few moments as he thought through his answer. Perhaps there was something here—well, that was what he thought at first. It was admittedly impressive for a mere mortal to attract such attention, such energy, and such devotion from so many people. He doubted that Lyra was even fully aware of this; she appeared a little too distracted with how cute the target was. He, however, was not so distracted. Through his reflection, he thought it could be traits like this—one being the ability to amass such a following—that would reveal to them who the Moon Prince truly was. If this Moon Prince that they were supposed to be looking for was anything like his sister, the Princess Serenity, then he would display traits pointing to his origins. From what Orion had heard and saw, Sailor Moon—the reborn Princess Serenity—possessed incredible strength and abilities. Just as likely then, the reborn Moon Prince, would have special abilities as well.

At first, Orion thought this VOX really could be a possible match. Again, his ability to influence so many hearts and minds seemed special and unique, but after hearing a few lyrics of VOX's music—_oh, yeah, I wanna love you…I wanna be always true...I wanna be stuck like glue_—Orion started to seriously doubt the possibility.

"Ummm, hello?" Lyra always was an impatient one.

An apathetic look was all that was on Orion's face. "You can do whatever you want, Lyra. You don't need my approval."

"Yes, but you're ordered to give me your help." She batted her eyelashes at him.

Orion grimaced. She just had to remind him! Beryl, frustrated with the lack of progress, ordered that her Generals be more cooperative. She had looked in Orion's direction during most of that speech. As if searching through a city full of people looking for one individual with little direction wasn't bad enough, he had to work with the other idiots also called "generals."

Lyra laughed at the sour face that appeared on Orion. "Don't worry. When I succeed, I'll make sure you're given due credit." She looked at him with a playful seduction in her eyes. "And perhaps even a reward," She purred. When he didn't react, she snapped out of her alluring persona and frowned for a moment—she wasn't used to that not working.

"Anyway," Orion sighed. "You should make your move after the concert tomorrow night. People will be clearing out, and they'll also be tired—their senses will be diminished after a long night. The chances for exposure or confrontation will be slimmer." He had to give some constructive ideas—even if they were completely obvious. It was all a part of being on Team Beryl.

"Thanks, Orion." Lyra nodded fervently. "That's exactly when I'll confront him!"

Orion rolled his bright blue eyes when Lyra wasn't looking. "No problem."

* * *

It was the night of the concert. Thousands of screaming fans reached out their arms towards him, and he in turn reached out to all of them with the power of his voice. They sang along to every song without missing a word. At times, he would point the microphone and the whole gathering would sing like a powerful storm rising up into the night air. Even though the night grew late, the crowd only seemed to grow more passionate and fervent for the sound of their idol.

It was too much for Mina. It was wonderful to be there—to be in his presence—even if there were thousands of other people surrounding her. At moments, she would close her eyes, pretending that they were alone, and he was singing only to her. And yet, there was a part of her that couldn't merely enjoy the night. The anxiety that ran through her veins as she constantly squeezed onto her ticket was almost more than she could bear. But finally, the moment approached. VOX had bid his fans goodbye and now was retiring backstage. Soon, the magic number would be called, and someone would get to meet VOX.

The announcer was speaking about this very thing—she knew that—and yet, she couldn't seem to make out any of his words. As he was poised to give the number, the entire crowd fell silent. Of course, this had to be done in a dramatic fashion—like the lottery. The first number was called.

Mina gave a sign of relief. She had the first number. She crossed her fingers with both hands while still managing to hold onto the ticket. "Come on, 184694! Come on, 184694!"

The announcer continued."…eight…four…six…"

Mina wasn't sure if she was going to scream, throw up, or pee her pants. "Nine! Nine! Nine!"

"Eight…Two…our winner is 184682!"

The crowd was silence for a few more moments until someone fairly nearby started screaming. Soon, concert workers came to the girl to confirm the ticket number. It was true—she was the winner as concert staff escorted an ecstatic girl towards the backstage.

Mina could only blink as she got a glimpse of the girl passing through the crowd. She looked down at the ticket. The numbers were so close…only…well…she wasn't good at math anyway. She slowly crumpled the ticket in her hands and shoved it back into her pocket. Goodness, it seemed so silly to feel this way about an idol, but she couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes.

The other girls waited for a moment for Mina to turn her face towards them, but the girl didn't turn around. Lita reached out and put a hand on Mina's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Mina finally did turn around once she got her forming tears under control. "I don't understand," She said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I really thought…"

"A lot of people bought tickets. It was just the luck of the draw," Raye said, trying to comfort her friend, and yet knew these words probably meant nothing to Mina in this moment.

"Yeah, I guess," Mina shrugged her shoulders.

They stood silent for a moment as the crowd started to thin out around them. People were going home now. The girls managed to cheer Mina up a bit with the prospects of buying VOX merchandise from the vendors. As the crowds thinned out some more, Ami and Mina went to make some purchases while the others stayed behind and watched the music videos playing on the stage screen.

* * *

It was a long night. He sang his heart out to thousands of screaming fans, danced with the heat of the stage lights beaming on him brightly, and met with VIP ticket holders, a contest winner, managers, and the national news station. Indeed, it had been a busy night. Finally, he managed to get a moment alone as he slipped into his personal trailer. The first thing he did was peel off the hot leather jacket and tossed it in the corner while on the way to the refrigerator. He leaned down and reached for a bottle of water. It was when he had half the bottle gulped that she made her presence known.

"Hello, VOX." Lyra's silky voice purred. She seemed to materialize out of the shadows of the small dressing room.

He was caught completely by surprise. He dropped the water bottle, causing it to splatter all over the floor. "Who are you? This room is supposed to be private."

Lyra only smiled as she approached. Her bright red eyes sparkled, leaving the man captivated, almost paralyzed, for a moment. She stood within a step of him and reached out. Her soft silky smooth hand grazed gently across his cheek; her fingertips slowly dragging under his earlobe. "My dear dear, VOX."

It was trance-like the way he said it, "You're beautiful."

"They always say _that_," Lyra sighed.

He didn't see it coming—neither the crystal she pulled out of her pocket nor the bright white beam of light that shot into his chest. He screamed in terror as the light took control of him and racing energy surged through his body.

* * *

Ami was one who was always conscious of time—perhaps it was all the studying that she desired to get done, but she found herself in the habit of frequently looking at her watch multiple times an hour. Tonight was no different. While Mina bounced happily between the merchandise vendors, Ami stood in the middle of the stalls waiting patiently. Occasionally, Mina would come back to leave something with Ami, but she'd just hurry off for more. Soon, Ami was weighted down with three posters, a stack of cassette tapes, sheets of stickers, and a coffee mug. Ami thought the end had come when Mina started talking about finding the other girls and moving away from the vendors, but just then, Mina set her sights on a tee-shirt with VOX plastered all over the front of it. The blonde gasped and shoved all of her memorabilia into Ami's arms before running off towards the tee-shirts.

The vendor looked almost completely cleaned out of merchandise. Mina quickly ran up to the table and reached her hand out for the black tee-shirt sitting on the table. It appeared to be the last one. Her hand came over it, and her fingers were about to clench the soft cotton until it was ripped out from under her touch. Her hand hit the table instead. Mina glanced over to her left. An elderly woman held out the shirt to gauge its size. Mina blinked for a moment. It was that same grandma who cut her in line at the ticket office. Mina immediately flushed the color of a crimson sunset. She reached out and ripped the tee-shirt out of the old woman's hands.

"Excuse me!" Mina snapped. "I saw it first!"

"I was looking at that, you fool girl!" The grandma snapped back. "How dare you just steal that from me!"

"My hand was on it first!" Mina growled.

"I don't think so!" The grandma growled equally as fierce.

Soon a fight broke out between the two. They started pulling at the shirt while claiming rights to it. Insults and unkind words were exchanged along with bashes with purses and scratches with fingernails.

Ami could only stare with her mouth agape. Not that anybody else knew it, but Ami blushed deeply, knowing that she was affiliated with Mina. Suddenly, Mina came running at her with the tee-shirt clutched to her chest. Apparently, Mina gave a hard final tug to the shirt and threw a handful of money at the vendor. This ploy was not without a price though. Mina received a swift smack across the back with the old woman's cane. Not knowing what else to do when Mina came running at her screaming to run, Ami ran. The two girls ran for their lives, as if running from a Negaverse monster, as the old woman tried to pursue them with her walker.

They thought they were clear after a few meters; however, the old woman had access to a motorized scooter for old people. Her shrill screams came up behind them. The girls looked back to see the woman waving her cane wildly and trying to steer the scooter with the other hand. The scooter weaved down the cement pathway erratically, knocking into trash cans and then grazing against the wall like a bumper car.

"Quick, get off the cement! She won't be able to follow us!" Mina made a sharp right turn into the grass. Ami followed suit. The old woman slammed on the brakes, and the scooter came to a screeching stop. Mina was right—she could not pursue them while they were on the grass. Mina stopped running after a few meters and turned around. She was in the grass enveloped in the darkness, but the old woman continued to stare as if she knew exactly where Mina was. Mina returned the favor with a stare of her own. The old woman sat still on her scooter in the dim yellow overhead light for a moment and continued her death glance. Once she was finished, she turned her attention back to the scooter controls and drove away.

Mina let out a sigh of relief. "Wow!"

It was dark so Mina couldn't tell, but Ami was as pale as a ghost. "I cannot believe you just did that," was all Ami managed to stay while trying to calm herself from the adrenaline rush she had moments before.

"Yeah, me neither," Mina laughed, almost deliriously.

* * *

"What is taking them so long?" Lita asked. "Buying a few things couldn't be that exciting, could it?" Serena and Raye nodded in agreement. Goodness, if they only knew.

Finally, Ami and Mina approached in the distance. Mina beamed proudly as she carried a whole armful of VOX related merchandise. Ami, still however, looked like she had been scared half to death.

Raye noted Ami's appearance. "What happened to you?"

Ami only shook her head. She wasn't ready to talk about her recent trauma yet.

"Oh, it's nothing," Mina waved her hand and laughed a bit nervously.

Lita stretched and yawned out loud. "Anyway, we should head home. I've got of chores to catch up on tomorrow."

Serena yawned, "And I have a lot of sleep to catch up on!"

"Oh, I think you sleep enough for all of us," Raye snickered.

"Agh, you don't understand, Raye!" Serena said, again yawning. "All this Sailor action—it makes me sleepy…and hungry…oh, so hungry." She said.

"Somehow, I think you were sleepy and hungry long before you were a Sailor Scout," Raye said, knowingly.

A shrill scream filled the air.

"Well, hopefully, you're not too sleepy and hungry now!" Lita said. She pulled out her Sailor pen. "Ladies, it's time for action!"

"Ooooh," Mina hopped around nervously. "What am I going to do with all this stuff?"

"Mina, seriously?" Raye scolded, already posed with her transformation stick.

"Agh, fine!" Mina released her arms and all the precious merchandise fell to the ground. "VENUS PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!" She grumbled.

Luckily, almost everyone had cleared out of the outdoor concern arena. They were safe enough to transform and head towards the backstage area towards the source of the screams. The crew that was still presence was fleeing the scene as the Sailors were coming towards it. Flashes of bright white light poured out the windows of one of the backstage trailers. Quickly, they ran towards it.

She was close—she knew it. A wide smirk rested upon Lyra face, but within moments, the light died down and the boy was left hanging in the air ragged and defeated. A deadly scowl emerged instead across her beautiful face—oh, she still looked beautiful but also frightening.

"Leave that gorgeous pop star alone!"

Lyra turned away from her victim. Crammed in the doorway were five Sailor Scouts, each trying to get a peek inside the trailer.

"Who are you, and what are you doing with VOX?" Sailor Venus pushed her way to the front of the Sailors.

"Who?" Lyra asked, disgustingly sweet. She reached up and placed her hand on VOX's cheek. Her long red nails, gently grazing across his skin. "Him?"

"Don't touch him!" Venus snapped.

Lyra knew a challenge like that—a challenge from one woman to another, particularly over a man. Her eyes narrowed. "We don't have the freedom to move in here, do we?" She sweetly, yet coldly, said. She pushed up off the ground and shot straight into the air. She tore through the metal roof of the trailer like it was paper and landed a few meters away from the trailer. The Sailors had to quickly untangle themselves out of the trailer doorway and meet Lyra at her new location.

She stood quietly with an eerie beauty that brought chills to their spines. Her long flowing pink hair rusted gently in the night air. A bemused smirk appeared on her face as the Sailors took their positions before her. "I see the legends are true," she said.

"About what?" Sailor Moon asked.

"That the Moon Princess was a beautiful sight to behold."

Sailor Moon looked taken aback. It seemed to be a complement, but it held such an overtone of disdain that it she didn't know what to think of it.

They expected to see General Draco, but here was someone else. She did the exact same things—she attacked someone with a white crystal then seemed upset when she didn't receive the results she wanted.

"Who are you, and why did you attack VOX?" Sailor Moon repeated the question they had asked earlier. She took a step towards the mysterious woman. "Are you with that man—the one with fire?"

"Ah, yes, you know Draco," Lyra said. "Quiet handsome when he's angry."

"He's _always_ angry," Sailor Jupiter blurted out.

Lyra nodded fervent. "Yes, and _always_ handsome!" She giggled.

The Sailors awkwardly glanced back and forth at one another.

"What do you and Draco want?" Sailor Mars asked.

Lyra laughed for a moment. "What do we want? Why we want the Moon Prince! We've only been working our fingers to the bone trying to find the guy, but…" Lyra started to flash her eyelashes. "..if you know where he is…"

A warm sensation came over Sailor Moon. She felt as if she had a five course meal—full, content, and sleepy. Her eyelids started to droop a bit, but her tongue felt loose. "Gee, I don't know about any Moon Prince." Thoughts like that should have disturbed her in that moment, for some reason, she just felt warm and sleepy.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars hollered. Mars shook her head, trying to get an intoxicating scent out of her senses. It only seemed to lull her mind into a sleepy and dazed state if she surrendered to it even for a moment, but she forced herself to fight. "Sailor Moon," She snapped again.

Finally, Sailor Moon snapped out of her daze. She blinked furiously for a moment then the shock of such information finally hit her. "Wait a minute! What? Moon Prince? What do you mean?"

It was difficult to tell if Lyra was impressed or annoyed with the fact that the Sailors managed to shake off her intoxicating powers. It was likely the latter since they had nothing useful to tell her. She crossed her arms over her stomach. "My name is Lyra of Starbeauty! We seek the Moon Prince, and we will not rest until we find him. Attacks such as these will continue until you surrender him!"

The Sailors only looked baffled. "What in the world are you talking about, lady?" Sailor Jupiter hollered.

"If you will not tell me, then I will force it out of you!" Lyra clenched her fists, ready for battle.

"You will not touch them!"

Everyone looked up towards the voice. Atop of trailer nearby, Tuxedo Samurai stood with his hand rested upon his sword handle. The backdrop of the Moon kept his face in darkness, but if it at all matched the fierceness of his voice, it would have been a sight to behold.

Lyra studied him for a moment but this time chose to flee instead of fight. She took a few steps back, releasing her hands to her side, and then she disappeared.

The Sailors looked up to the masked man atop the trailer.

"Um, Mr. Tuxedo Samurai, sir," Sailor Mercury gingerly stepped forward. "This woman, Lyra, informed us that she and Draco are looking for someone called the Moon Prince. Do you have any idea to whom they might be referring?"

The man in the tuxedo pondered for a moment, but only a frustrated look washed upon his face. "I don't…I can't…" Thinking too hard seemed to pain him. He reached up at his forehead like he had a headache or something. "I don't know," He stood his head. "I don't know anything."

"Are you okay?" Venus asked, looking at him as if he was a weirdo.

Mars stepped forward too. "Tuxedo Samurai," She called out, worried.

The warrior kept rubbing his forehead exactly across the crescent moon on his forehead. "Look, I'm here to…the only thing I know…" It took him a moment, but he seemed to regain his composure. "I'm sorry. I don't have any answers."

"Why?" Jupiter asked.

The masked man only shook his head. "I'm sorry. I cannot help you." He leapt backwards into the night, and they could see him no longer.

"What was _that_ about?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Who knows," Jupiter shrugged.

Mars stood silent with her hands clasped together over her heart. Who was that masked man, and what did he have to do with all of this? There were so many questions and so few answers.

"Well," Jupiter said, glancing over at Venus. "I guess our business here is done, but I suppose someone should go and check to see if VOX is okay. After an ordeal like that and all of his support crew gone, I'm sure a Good Samaritan would be greatly appreciated."

The light bulb went on in Mina's brain. "I could be the one to nurse VOX back to health!" Instantly, she retransformed back into her civilian attire. "He'll need someone like me to recover! I better check to see if he's okay!" She ran off towards the trailer.

"Well, who would have thought it?" Sailor Moon said.

"Yes," Mercury said. "Dreams can come true."

As the Sailors walked away, Mina was inside the trailer taking care of her idol. She propped some pillows behind VOX's head and gently patted his forehead down with a cool cloth. It was moments later when he woke up confused and frightened only to have an angel comfort him.

* * *

Monday morning came without a word from Mina. So when they met up at their usual street corner to walk to school, everyone was eager and excited. Even Raye made a complete detour from her usual route to school to join them. All of them arrived before Mina did and waited impatiently for her arrival. They did not have to wait long. The blonde came strolling down the street swinging her black school briefcase without a care in the world. She always walked like that. Did anything exciting happen or not? Why was she acting so normal?

She joined the group, but she actually didn't stop her pace. She just continued walking, and they followed. That's how things usually went. Did things go poorly with VOX? Is that why everything was so normal with her now?

They hated to ask, but someone had to. It might as well be her. "So, how was your weekend?" Serena asked, trying to be causal about it.

"Oh, it was fine," Mina said, pleasantly, but no different than she usually would.

"What did you do?" Ami asked, knowing getting the details was going to take a little more effort.

Raye was much more a blunt person when she was frustrated. "So what happened between you and VOX Saturday night?"

"Oh, that," Mina turned around with a big smirk. "He woke up a bit startled, but I managed to calm the situation."

"How'd you manage that?" Lita asked. "There was only that enormous hole blown through the roof of his trailer."

Mina shrugged. "I told him that one of the vents blew up, and that's how hole got there and when he passed out."

"Not the most plausible, but I suppose it would suffice for someone who doesn't ask too many questions," Ami said.

"So?" Serena bounced. "What was he like?"

Mina gave a very sweet but closed mouth smile; however, she didn't turn around to look at her friends. "He's very kind. We talked about many things. I didn't realize that he was so fascinating."

"So you've finally managed to see past his looks," Raye said. "Wow, my Mina is growing up."

Finally, she did turn around to look at them. There was a soft rosy glow on her cheeks. The other girls stopped for a moment, awed. The person who stood before them was not the typical Mina—bouncing, chaotic, and energetic. A serene and gentle beauty seemed to radiate from her being. She seemed taller and fuller in that moment and much more alive with an unusually warm energy. This must have been what Aphrodite looked like. "I will be joining Hiroyuki later in the week for dinner. He requested to take me out for taking care of him."

"Hiroyuki?" Raye blinked.

"That's his real name," Ami informed. "I read it in a biography."

Serena clasped her hands together happily. "That's wonderful, Mina! Your dream came true! You've gotten to meet VOX, and you even get to have dinner with him!"

Mina nodded. "Yes, it was a wonderful weekend." She continued to walk and the other followed suit. "There was only one problem though."

"What was that?" Lita asked.

"When I walked home Saturday night, I went back for my merchandise that I brought. Everything was there except for one thing—my tee-shirt."

Ami's eyes bulged—after all the hard work it took to get that tee-shirt not to mention the shame!

"I can't imagine what could have happened to it," Mina said. She looked up for a moment, and something caught her eye across the street.

Sitting on a motorized scooter, an old woman wore a large grin and a black tee-shirt with a picture of VOX on it. The calm and serene beauty over Mina immediately dissipated to the wind. A hot flush came over Mina as she clenched her fits. " Oi!," Mina called across the street. "Give me back my tee-shirt!"

"Oh, no!" Ami gasped frantically.


	8. A Bad Day

**Episode Eight**

**Bad Day**

What could it mean? Ami took off her reading glasses and rubbed her weary eyes. There was nothing here. In her spare time, she searched every mythology book the school possessed and even ordered in special books from the university. Some of the old stories had pieces or reflections from the past, but there was nothing about any Moon Prince in any of these books. The barrier between the past and the re-born future was too thick—nothing coherent could be gained from these sources.

Unfortunately, Luna and Artemis were just as oblivious and shocked as the Sailor Scouts were when they heard the news. They had absolutely no recollection of anyone called the Moon Prince. The database that the two cats used provided no information as well. Mercury's supercomputer didn't fare well either. There was no information regarding the Moon Prince whatsoever.

It was right at that moment when she rubbed her tired eyes that the teacher walked into the classroom—finally on to something easier, Historical Anthropology and World Civilizations. (It was one of the advanced university credit courses she was allowed to take her school.) Ami closed the mythology book. She exchanged it with the course book and her notebook from her bag. She straightened up in her seat and devoted her attention to the teacher.

"Please, open your books to page 79," The Sensei said. "Today, we'll be finishing up our study on the Mayan Collapse in the Central Americas."

Ami opened her notebook to her prepared notes for the lecture. For a few moments, she gave her undying attention to the Sensei and his explanations of common theories about the demise of these people. She genuinely found the topic interesting; there was no solid or concrete evidence about what caused the demise of this technologically advanced society. But as fascinating as the Mayans were, something else stole her attention—the boy a few seats away. At first, he was scribbling something into his little notebook, perhaps lecture notes, but after a few minutes, he closed the book and laid his head down on his desk. This didn't escape the notice of his classmates nor the Sensei. Interestingly though, Ami looked more appalled than the Sensei did at that moment. Few things made calm and peaceful Ami Mizuno's blood boil—disrespecting a teacher was one of them.

After a few moments, the Sensei realized that the student would not move from his sleeping position. He walked over to his desk and collected his class roster. "Nakamura-san?"

There was no reply.

"Nakamura-san,"

Nothing.

The Sensei stood over the boy's desk. "Nakamura-san!"

The boy with purple hair looked up. This was perhaps the first time Ami got a real good look at him, and it was a bit strange to do so. He seemed so much older and more mature than the other boys in the class. He had the look of a young man about him—at least three or four years older than the other boys in the class. His eyes were an unusually bright sky blue which almost seemed to glow. His hair was a bit wild and shaggy—mostly purple with a slight blue tint.

The boy answered with "_what_?" a bit ruder than he should have. The entire class gasped.

The Sensei put his hands on his hips. "Is there something more important than my lecture right now, Mr. Nakamura?"

It was clear that Orion Nakamura had lots to say in that moment by the look on his face, but he only blinked and kept silent.

"I thought so," The Sensei said smugly and began to turn around.

"The Maya civilization rapidly declined during the 8th and 9th centuries because of a rapid increase in population followed by provision shortages and frequent epidemics shortly after," Orion said, flatly.

The Sensei waved his hand dismissively, "Yes, yes, those are merely some of the theories…"

"No," Orion said. "That's what happened."

The entire class laughed. The Sensei laughed too but not because he was amused. Instead of scolding the boy himself, the Sensei turned to the class. "Who can tell Mr. Nakamura why the Mayan collapse is considered one of the greatest mysteries within our known historical record?" The Sensei looked immediately to Ami. He must have really wanted to put the boy in his place by calling on her.

Ami sheepishly looked up from her notebook. She didn't like being in the middle of squabbles and fights—even Serena and Raye's bickering made her uncomfortable at times. "Historians and archaeologist are at a loss as to what caused the collapse due to a lack of evidence either through physical remains or written record. All theories must remain in the realm of speculation at the present moment."

"Well said, Mizuno-san," The Sensei applauded.

Orion turned in his desk, just for a moment, to look back at Ami. Suddenly, she was very interested in her notebook.

"Now do_ you _know why it is a mystery, Nakamura-san?" The Sensei looked rather smug in that moment.

Orion shrugged. "Population increase. Famine. Epidemic. That's all _you_ need to know."

Anger overtook the Sensei. He pointed towards the door and choked down his rage before speaking. "Out! Get out!" was all he could manage to say without blowing up.

Orion rolled his eyes. He slinked out of his set and slipped the little notebook into his back pocket. He made a point to give his pen a loud click before he shoved it into his front pocket. After he was finished, he causally strolled toward the door as if being thrown out of a class meant nothing to him. As he passed her row, his head turned.

They locked eyes—oceans met the sky. It was strange how she felt. It was strange that she was feeling anything actually. She barely knew this person, and yet, he seemed to elicit so many emotional responses from her. Something about him irritated and annoyed her. It made her feel hot, flustered, fearful, and even out of control.

Orion left the class and everyone burst into laughter, including the Sensei. The Sensei began lecturing on the importance of leaving personal opinions and being arrogantly devoted to one theory at the expense of scientific evidence. It was good advice, it really was, but Ami couldn't focus her mind enough to continue with studying. Her mind was clouded and confused—a storm of emotions and feelings blocking her senses. Everyone was laughing about how foolish the boy seemed and yet his words held a sense of conviction and sure belief. How could someone claim something like that? How could someone who was barely an adult claim to have knowledge about events that happened over a thousand years ago? Something was not right. Perhaps she needed to investigate this Orion Nakamura.

* * *

Since the weather was warm and beautiful today, the students were allowed to eat outside in the courtyard. Far away from the crowds, the Sailors claimed a large shady tree close to the building. They would have to keep their voices down, but for the most part, they could talk freely about their business.

Serena pulled out her sailor communicator. "I'll get Raye on screen." She typed in the code to call the Sailor of Fire. Soon, the girl's picture appeared in the small screen of the communicator. "Raye, where are you? It looks like you're in some kind of horror film."

It was a dimly lit and cluttered janitor's closet. Raye swore as she knocked over a few cleaning supplies trying to get comfortable. Finally, Raye managed to find a slightly comfortable position and give her attention to the other Scouts. "Alright, we can start now," she huffed. Raye always complained about a lack of hiding places inside her school building. "I don't have much time though. I had to sneak away from study hall."

"Well, unfortunately, the only thing to report is that we have nothing to report," Lita said with a sigh. "Serena informed us that Luna and Artemis have no idea who or what the Moon Prince is."

"Ami's had no luck either," Mina added.

Raye sighed for two reasons. First, there was no information about the Moon Prince, and second, her fellow scouts could have just sent her a message, rather than calling for a video chat, saying that they had no information. She reminded them of this fact almost instantly.

"Sorry," Serena winced. "Just wanted to make sure you knew."

"I get that, Serena, but do you know how hard it is to sneak out of study hall?"

Serena nodded, "Yes, actually I do."

Raye blinked. "Ah, nevermind." She stood up to leave the closet, but she bumped into the shelving and a shower of cleaning supplies came crashing down on her. A scream was the last thing everyone heard before her communicator went out.

"Raye? Raye?" Serena shook her communicator. She shrugged. "Oh, well."

Min snickered. "I kind of wish I was there to see the look on Raye's face right about now." Everyone managed a laugh at that, but Ami's laugh was a bit subdued today.

Ami was never one to laugh loudly—not like Serena or Mina anyway. Her laugh was sweet, gentle and rather charming, but today, it lacked any of that which made it special. She didn't understand it—she was still bothered about that boy in class that morning. Why did it matter? Why did she care? She told herself that she didn't care, but something inside her forced her to care. There was something that was drawing her—alluring her—she stopped those thoughts right there.

"Are you alright, Ami-chan?" Lita asked.

When Ami snapped out of her daze, three friends were looking at her, worried. Apparently, they had been trying to get her attention for a few moments. She blushed. "Ah, sorry," She pulled her lunch out of her bag and began to prepare it for something to do. "I was just thinking about something."

"Hmmmm," Mina smirked. "I know that look. When girls look like that, they're usually thinking about a boy."

Ami froze. How did she know? Well, it wasn't exactly what Mina was thinking, she reasoned. Nevertheless, she had to play this cool. "What _look_?" She asked casually, as if curious about Mina's hypothesis.

"Well," Mina scooted next to Ami, threw her arms around the girl, and pressed their cheeks together. She mimicked Ami's face a little too frighteningly well. "Oh, they look so forlorn and distraught as if an unrequited love was tearing away at them on the inside."

"How about it, Ami?" Lita asked. "Is unrequited love tearing away at you on the inside?"

This was ridiculous! Ami pulled away from Mina. "Why do you always have to assume that all complications in life correlate to the male species?"

The girls blinked. Ami said that a bit more forcefully that she would ever say anything. Plus, sometimes it just took a little time to digest the higher vocabulary that Ami would use. After the initial shock, Mina shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I hate to toot my own train…"

"Toot my own _horn_," The other girls corrected for her.

"…but I usually have an eye for these sorts of things." Mina sat prim and proudly in that moment, but seeing the look on her friend's face, she decided not to push the issue further. Perhaps there was a guy on Ami-chan's mind or perhaps the girl was just stressed from trying to find the Moon Prince and achieving no results. Anyway, she would leave it alone—for today.

"Well, anyway, we also have to figure out who our enemy is," Lita said. "Now we got two of them to worry about."

"Yeah, Draco and Lyra." Serena said. "What do you think she meant by _Starbeauty_? I mean, I don't think she was _that _pretty, do you?"

"Hmmm, actually, she was rather pretty," Lita said.

"She was not!" Serena and Mina both exclaimed.

Lita smirked. "Serena, you're just jealous because she insulted you, and Mina, you're upset because she attacked your idol."

Both girls started wildly objecting to Lita's opinion.

Ami, however, tuned out of this fight. Instead, something else caught her attention. They were very close to the school building. The windows from the outside had a dark tint so it was nearly impossible to see inside unless one was up close to the window. Nevertheless, she continued to stare straight at the window closest to them. She couldn't see inside, but something was drawing her to look at it.

He stood on the other side of the window. He could see outside towards the courtyard. His supposed class—the third years—were out on the lawn eating their lunches. He, however, had more important things to be doing. He stood in the tiny room where the school kept its files. Whenever he was bored with playing the student routine, he would come here.

He was at this school in an attempt to find the Moon Prince. If the Moon Prince had any relation to Princess Serenity then it was likely he was reborn on Earth around the same time. From what Orion gathered, this would mean he should be searching for subjects in the high school age range. The file room was a great place to aid his search. He read the files of every male student, looking for something special or extraordinary. So far, all the male students at 10th Juuban were less than spectacular. Of course, he was only in the "D" files, and there were many more to go.

Today, however, he found himself staring out the window. She sat there, just as she did in class, with distracted thoughts while everyone around her seemed normal. He studied that worried face carefully— following the soft curve of her check, her gentle but frustrated brow, the wispy blue hair that fluttered in the wind. He turned away from her back towards the file cabinet. "Mizuno, Mizuno," He muttered, reaching out for the "M" drawer. He quickly fingered through the manila folders, skipping multiple male students, until he reached it. "Mizuno, Ami." He pulled out the unusually thick file and took his usual seat on the floor. The first thing he saw when he opened it was the mandatory 8x13cm picture taken by the school at matriculation. Through his search in the folders, he had seen some ugly pictures, but this one—she was beautiful: sweet smile, gentle eyes, clear skin. Wait a minute! What the hell was he thinking?

He was here for one purpose only—to find the Moon Prince. He slammed the folder shut—not that it was very dramatic to slam a paper folder shut, but nevertheless. He sighed and glanced back out the window. They were gone—she was gone. But who was she anyway? Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the folder back up.

* * *

It was a long and miserable walk home. Not that there was anything wrong with the walk itself, but the frustrations of the day weighed heavily upon her. Sometimes life was just a little too much to handle. As she walked, she tried not to breathe too deeply. She still reeked of cleaning supplies from her little excursion to the janitor's closet. Why the janitor didn't keep the closet more organized was beyond her. After trying to have a conference call with the other scouts, she knocked over one of the shelves, and everything came crashing down on her. Of course, the noise was heard by all the wrong people, and Raye landed herself detention after school for trying to skip class. The afternoon didn't fare much better. She got an 85 on her math quiz. Perhaps she shouldn't complain. After all, Serena and Mina brought home much worse scores than that. Still, the mistakes she made on the quiz were so stupid. She should have known better. She sighed. Her mind was just in other places. The dreams were nightly now, and she still had no idea what they meant for her, the Sailor Scouts, or the future. As if it wasn't complicated enough, the Sailors had a new enemy, and they were looking for some mysterious person known as the Moon Prince. What the heck were they supposed to think of that?

Defeated was the only word that seemed to express how she was feeling in that moment. She marched up the steps of the Hikawa Shrine with her head hung low. She just wanted to get in her room and shut out the world, quickly and safely. Damn it!

Akira stood in the courtyard near her bedroom sweeping the sidewalks. She grimaced when she saw him. She really didn't want to hear it.

She tried to walk past, but…

"Why do you smell like a hospital, Princess?" He asked, not looking up from his work.

She stopped and just sighed.

Akira stopped sweeping. He turned his attention towards her. "Are you alright?"

She didn't know if she wanted to scream or cry that moment, but she didn't neither of them. She just stood there and shrugged her shoulders, glancing away.

He approached her. "What's wrong?"

Some of the stuff she couldn't tell him. Sailor business had to be a secret, but the best cover stories always had elements of truth in them. She pulled out the math quiz from her pocket and showed him. She truly was a little upset about it, but the core of her frustrations was things she could not tell him, even if she wanted to.

He took the paper and looked over it for a few moments. She half-expected some smart-ass comment, but he surprised her with his gentleness.

"It's frustrating when that happens, isn't it?" He said, knowingly.

"What?" She didn't quite understand him.

"Well, by your work, it looks like you know what you're doing. You just made a few mistakes that unfortunately cost you the right answer." He handed the paper back to her. "What are you stressed about?"

He was too intuitive for his own good. She couldn't say the real reason. She glanced away as she made up some white lie. "I'm just really stressed about getting good marks this year—I mean, I want to get into a good university and all."

He nodded and looked off towards the sunset. "I know you've probably heard this a thousand times, but you've just got to try your best and leave it at that. If you keep stressing about good marks, you'll just end up with bad ones."

"Self-fulfilling prophecy," She said.

"Exactly," He said. "Besides, everyone has a quiz or some test that he or she isn't proud about. If yours is an 85, then you should be grateful."

"Yeah," Raye sighed. "I guess."

"Ah," Akira looked over at her. "Don't worry about it. You're a smart, intelligent woman. You'll find a way to make it work. Anyway, my class had problems like this last chapter. Maybe we could study together sometime?"

"Okay, I suppose we could do that," Raye nodded bashfully. Suddenly, her cheeks felt hot. Was it because he called her _intelligent, _because he wanted to study with her, or because he called her a _woman _when mostly she still felt like a little child? She quickly, however, deflected the conversation away from such feelings. "So, what's your worst secret test score?" She asked with a teasing grin.

He smirked, knowing she was back to her normal self. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, I would. Now tell me."

He pondered for a moment. "Umm, no."

"Oh, come on!"

"You have to guess," He said, beginning to sweep the sidewalk again. "You have to guess the subject and the number before I'll tell you."

"You've got to be kidding me!" She rolled her eyes when his look told her that he wasn't kidding. "You at least have to tell me if I get one of the answers right!" Raye said. "This game is already ridiculous as it is."

"Whatever." He shrugged with a smirk. He loved irritating her.

"Was it an English test? With a score of 50%?"

"Nope,"

"This is a stupid game!" When he didn't respond, she sighed and guessed again, "Japanese? 35 percent?"

"No," He said jokingly offended. "I can't believe you'd aim so low."

Raye rolled her eyes.

"Science test? 60%?"

He shook his head.

"Math test? 65?"

"It was a math test, yes," He said. "It's my worst subject."

"If it's your worst subject, why did you offer to tutor me?" She put her hands on her hips.

Akira looked away, blushing.

"55?" Raye asked, moments later.

"You're really bad at this game."

"Well, you're really not giving me anything to go on," She folded her arms over her chest. She didn't like losing games—even ridiculous ones.

"Fine. I got a zero."

"Why?" She looked stunned.

"In the third grade, I got caught cheating—well, actually helping others cheat."

"What do you mean?"

"I let some of the popular boys in class cheat off my paper. I wanted them to like me so I agreed to it when they asked at recess before the test." He looked away from her, as if it were shameful to be telling this story. "They were caught and when asked about it, they made sure to mention my name as well."

It seemed strange. From what she heard from her friends and saw of his activities, Akira seemed very well liked and even fairly popular at 10th Juuban. Of course, she didn't know for sure since she didn't go to the same school. It just seemed odd for someone like him to worry about being popular. Things were starting to get uncomfortable again so she came up with another quick witted response. "That doesn't really count though. We're talking about tests we bombed because of academic failure, not other things."

"Alright," he said. "We'll have to start the game over then."

Raye groaned.

* * *

Her plan was successful. Aludra proudly stood next to Queen Beryl as the Queen activated the sacred stones. Perfectly aligned, the stones were placed in a pentagram formation, all reflecting their light into the centerpiece. Captured light from the full moon empowered the moonstones with special energy, and that energy was harnessed through the alignment of the stones. The energy was channeled into the center of the star formation into a deep red orb—Sailor Pluto's staff.

Once the moonlight struck the red orb, the orb could be used to view moments in time. That is how Beryl learned the information that she possessed now, but she needed more. She knew that the Moon Prince was dangerous to her caused, but she didn't know why. She didn't know where he was either. She needed answers.

After the light from the moonstones died down, Beryl walked into the center of the star formation and hovered her hands over the red orb. An image projected itself from the orb for all to see. The four faces around her—her Generals—all perked up at the sight. A familiar sight came to her. She scowled. It was the palace of the Moon Kingdom.

While it was beneficial to see glimpses of the past, it was the future that Beryl really wanted. Aludra seemed to sense this from her master, and she spoke something to the effect that the future was much harder to see than the past due to the fact that it hadn't happened yet. Beryl barely heard these words through her frustration. She would have to learn how to control this orb better in order to get the information she desired.

As if seeing the Moon palace wasn't enough, she saw the Princess Serenity walking over a long bridge that passed over the Sea of Serenity. She was not alone. She was with a man who bared many similar features to herself—golden hair, fair skin, and beautiful eyes. The two were even similarity dressed the clothing style of the Moon Kingdom—she in a long white dress while he wore the white and black armor of a Moon Kingdom General. The two, who also looked so similar in physical features, gently strolled along the shore while chatting.

"Dear Serena, I only say these things because of you safety. We are unaware of Prince Endymion's alliances. There have been rumors that the Earth Kingdom has been making negotiations with Queen Beryl and the Negaverse," The Moon Prince stated.

"Endymion would never do such a thing as siding with her! There must be a mistake!" Princess Serenity interrupted.

The Prince sighed. "My intelligence teams placed on Earth tell me otherwise."

Princess Serenity looked him in the eye. "Lír, do you trust me?"

He looked at her, confused. "Yes, of course I do."

"Then please believe me when I say that Prince Endymion is not with the Negaverse. He is good-hearted and trustworthy." She looked away, towards the bright blue sea. "I love him."

He faintly smiled. "You always see the best in people, my sister."

She turned her attention back to him and smiled. "Yes, even you." She brushed the hair out of his eyes as a loving sister would.

He sighed and continued to stroll at a slow pace. "It is a wonderful day, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Serena smiled while twirling her umbrella that was rested against her shoulder. "Quite beautiful." They walked a few feet in silence merely absorbing the scenery with their eyes. They had lived in the Moon Kingdom all their lives, but they could never grow tired of the beautiful landscape of the Moon.

"Lír, tell me something."

"Hmmm, yes?" He snapped of his current thought.

"If something were to happen, would you do me a favor?"

They stopped walking as a serious mood felt over them both.

The Princess knew she had her brother's attention. Thoughts such as these caused tears to form in her eyes. "Lír, please, if something were to happen, please don't hurt Prince Endymion. I could never believe he would betray us—betray me."

The Prince sighed and looked away. That was a promise he didn't think he could keep. He thought about it for a few moments then turned back towards his sister. "I will try to honor your wishes, but you must realize that my first—and perhaps only priority— is the safety of this kingdom and its people."

She nodded. "That is all I can ask."

"You really love him, don't you," was all he could say.

The Princess nodded. "With all my heart." She smiled warmly at her younger twin brother. "I hope you can know a love like that someday."

The Prince turned away quickly.

"Is something wrong, Lír?"

Prince Lír shook his head. "No, nothing," He said, but he gripped onto the katana at his side tightly. He glanced down for a moment, looking at the small symbol branded into the metal—a circle with an arrow coming out of the top right side.

Soon, the image of the past faded away, and Beryl's courtroom was left in darkness once again.

"So his name is Lír?" Lyra said. "We can just start looking for guys named Lír and…"

"Not likely," Orion said. "Most of the royals used ceremonial names for public use, and it's not likely they were called the same name when they were reborn." He figured he better make it look like he was helping by giving some information—but not too much.

"So they were brother and sister—Princess Serenity and Prince Lír?" Draco asked. "Real brother and sister?"

"That's what it was," Beryl said. "Princess Serenity and Prince Lír were twins. Serenity was born first and thus made heir to the Moon Kingdom throne. Lír, the second born, was given leadership of the army when he became of proper age."

"This doesn't help us find him though," Lyra said.

"We'll just have to keep searching to find useful information," Aludra said, wanting her services to be of some value to the Queen.

The others seemed to be confused and clueless, but Orion had an idea.


	9. Wounded Warriors

**Episode Nine**

**Wounded Warriors**

She was supposed to be doing her homework, but she could only sit at the table with her hands over her face, shutting out the world. It was just all too much sometimes. She was supposed to finish this homework last night, but she just couldn't manage it. Now, she was trying to finish it before breakfast. Grandpa wasn't one to say too much or ask too many questions concerning these things—a trait which she appreciated especially because of her Sailor activities. He only sat there quietly and peacefully as he attempted to read the morning newspaper. She however felt like she wanted to die.

"Are you alright?"

That was the second time he asked her that within twenty-four hours. Gosh, he probably thought she was a psycho. Her muffled groan was her only reply as she continued to sit there with her hands in her face. Yes, she was being a big baby, and she knew it. Before she realized it, he sat down right next to her, their shoulders brushing against one another. She removed her hands from her face and opened her eyes. He was already looking at her book assessing the situation. He pulled it closer, in front of them both, and grabbed her pencil.

"Alright," Akira said. "This should only take us a few minutes,"

"I've been at it for an hour," Raye sighed.

"You just need to focus," He said.

How was she supposed to focus when he was sitting dangerously close to her? When her thoughts started to wander, he called her name and snapped her back into attention. She jerked her head and went into focus moment. "Alright," She said.

He began to lecture her through the math problems. For the most part, she paid attention, but as she slowly saw the newspaper come down and the sparkle in Grandpa's eye, she lost all focus. She bit her tongue as Grandpa smirked, but she still managed to shoot him a dirty look. The newspaper went back up.

As he promised, the remainder of the math problems only took a few minutes. Once they were finished, he left her side and crossed over to the other side of the table. Stress usually made her not want to eat much. It was quite an odd contrast to the amount that Akira was eating that morning. He was already through his first rice bowl when he looked up and noticed Raye hardly eating at all. He didn't say anything however.

It wasn't until they were walking to school and he didn't take the turn that he needed when he decided to speak to her. He didn't need to say anything, but she realized what he was up to when he continued to walk with her towards her school.

"Something is really bothering you, isn't it?" He said, finally, after a long period of silence.

She sighed. How could she ever answer that question? There was so much on her heart and so little of it could be spoken. "I haven't been sleeping well." Well, that was true. "That just makes it harder on everything."

He nodded in agreement. "Why do you think you can't sleep?"

"Probably just stress from other things," She said.

"Like what?"

Why did he have to be so damn persistent? "I worry about a lot of things: my aging grandfather, my grades, my friends, my future…" She rattled off quickly, feeling her voice tremble. She stopped. This couldn't go any further. She'd end up saying something she regretted.

They walked silently for a while until he looked over at her. "You don't have to worry about those things alone, you know."

_That_ made her want to cry. If anything, she always felt alone—her father's abandonment, her mother's death, feeling out of place at a Catholic school, Darien being destined to another, Chad leaving. Having to take care of problems _alone_ was something she knew all too well.

He sensed the frustration welling up inside of her. "From what I've seen, you've got some amazing friends."

That was true. The knot in her chest started to ease a bit.

"And I know he's… _challenging_…sometimes," Akira chose his words carefully. "…but your Grandpa would do anything for you."

Another truth.

"And_ I'm_…well, I mean…" He stopped talking.

She looked up at him, seeing that he clearly wanted to say more. "What?"

He shook his head. "Ah, nothing." He looked away. "I just mean to say that you've got a lot of good people in your life. I think they'd help you with anything."

Raye nodded. "You're right."

"I think Serena would be willing to hear anything you had to say."

Raye stared at him for a moment. Why did it prick her heart to hear him say _her_ name—_Serena's _name? But she nodded anyway. "Yes, Serena can be a good listener—_sometimes_." Raye added lightheartedly.

Akira smiled. Oh, that smile was like sunshine. She managed to smile too as they both thought about their mutual blonde friend. The continued to walk to Raye's school together.

After a few moments, as the tension and stress melted away, Raye spoke up playfully. "You know, you both eat the same way."

"What way?" He asked.

"Like pigs." She pondered for a moment. "But I think pigs chew. You both just tend to inhale your food." She laughed as he shot her a dirty look.

It wasn't much longer until they arrived at Raye's school. He walked her to the gate of the school grounds. She looked at her watch. "You better hurry up. You haven't got that much time until class starts."

"Yeah," He said, not looking too eager to head off to school. "I suppose."

"Thank you," She said, in an unusually tender tone. Akira looked up at her with his full attention. She however glanced towards her feet and tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear. "You know, for walking me to school and talking."

"Yes, of course." He nodded. "You're welcome."

"Well," She slightly bowed to him. "I should go."

He returned the bow. "Alright. Don't worry about things too much, okay?"

She nodded. "I'll try," She slowly backed away, turned, and headed towards her school.

He looked around for a moment as he stood at the gate. Not far away, he realized he was being watched by three girls. At first glance, the one in the middle could easily be mistaken for Raye, but Raye was heading into the school building. The girl did not try to hide the fact that she was staring. She brazenly smirked at him as he noticed her gaze. He, however, only nodded politely then turned to walk away.

"And what's your name, stranger?" She called out to him.

He stopped and turned around gingerly. "It's Akira," He said.

She continued to smirk while twirling a small lollipop in her hand. She brought the red candy to her mouth before posing her lips to speak. "Akira, huh?" She pressed the candy to her lips as if kissing for a moment. "You can call me Regina."

"Alright…Regina…" He gave her another bow of greeting. "I better get going then." He turned and finally managed to walk away this time.

She however continued to smirk as she sucked on the cherry lollipop.

* * *

The trail of her long purple gown ran across the cold stone floor as she weaved through the dark corridors and hallways of her palace. The stone floor was as black as midnight while the walls were pure ice. It was cold, dark, and damp—just how she liked it. Today, Beryl walked alone through her palace, without the aid of guards or servants. Finally, she reached her destination. She came to a large iron door with two guards standing in front of it. They immediately bowed at the sight of her and hurried out of the way. Beryl nodded towards the door, and the guard with the key scurried to unlock it. He opened the door, but she paid him no attention. She entered into the palace prison. It was a long hallway with multiple cells. Most of them had multiple occupants, and those occupants immediately started screaming and begging for mercy.

The Queen wrinkled her nose—what disgusting, pathetic, worthless piles of rotting flesh. She paid them no attention as they cried out to her, reaching between the bars of their cells. The cell that she wanted was near the end. She stopped at her desired location. The two guards had followed behind her and immediately went to work on opening this door as well. When they finished and were out of the way, she walked inside. Her elegant dress and proud posture contrasted severely with the prisoner that sat against the wall shackled.

The prisoner was too weak to lift her head. Remnants of fine clothing, now dirty torn rags, hung off of her emaciated frame. Her eyelids slowly drifted open as she sensed she was not alone.

"This could be a whole lot easier, you know," The Queen said.

Trista Meioh, Sailor Pluto, was never one to give a fast answer, but even if she had wanted to, her lack of strength wouldn't allow her.

Clearly frustrated, Beryl snapped, "Just tell me how the staff works!"

"I will…_never_…tell you something like that." Trista finally found the strength to look up only to be slapped across the face. She shrieked in pain—her face was already bruised as it was.

"Sooner or later I will discover how to use _my_ staff to _my_ will, and where will that leave you?" Beryl asked, her voice dripping with venomous threats. "If you cooperate now, I might find it in my heart to have mercy on your pathetic soul."

"I sincerely doubt that you have a heart or the ability to show mercy to.."

Another slap.

Blood trickled out of the corner of Trista's mouth. "I'd rather die than serve you in any capacity."

"You will wish for death before I'm finished with you," The Queen turned and left the cell. Once she stepped out, she nodded to the guards. They returned the nod and stepped into the cell after Beryl left.

Trista released a painful sigh—she figured at least one rib was broken. She heard the cracking sound of knuckles before receiving a blow to the face.

* * *

He tapped his ink pen against one of the pages in his little notebook. This was infuriating. There was so little information to work with that the task seemed damn near impossible. As if finding the Moon Prince wasn't difficult enough, he now focused his attention on finding the identity of Sailor Moon. From what he heard of Negaverse encounters with the Sailors in the past, Sailor Moon was the reborn Princess Serenity. Perhaps if he could find the identity of the reborn Princess, the Prince would not be far behind—perhaps they were even in the same natural family. It was a possibility worth exploring. The problem was, of course, he didn't exactly know who Sailor Moon was either. At least he had a better idea of who she was—blonde, female teenager living in the Tokyo area. Well actually, that wasn't much to go on either. Orion groaned. How would he ever achieve his goals and desires when so many obstacles were in the way?

The bell for the next class chimed. His free period in the library was over. It was time to go back to class. He looked over at the stack of books he needed for the next class. Really, he had too much to do to be going to class, but he found himself tucking away the small notebook and grabbing the textbooks. He walked out of the library towards the Physics classroom. Physics—it was child's play, but perhaps it would be something to take his mind off the stressful situation in which he was currently involved.

The hallway was packed. During the last minute, everyone rushed quickly to their designated classrooms, including two good friends.

"It's really important that we get tickets early," Serena whined. "Otherwise, we'll probably have to wait little three weeks or something."

"Serena, I promise I'll stop by the theater before cram school tonight," Ami said, carrying a stack of books in her arms. "I wrote it down in my planner. I won't forget." She seemed a bit flustered. "Hurry, we're going to be late."

"I don't mean to be a nag, but I've been waiting for this movie to come out for months now!" Serena slowed them down as she dug in her school bag for some yen.

Just as Orion turned to head into the classroom, the two girls turned also and the three nearly collided with each other. The tower of books in Ami's arms wobbled back and forth before they finally decided to tip forward out her arms.

Quickly, his hand went up. He pushed the books back into her arms. He looked up. There she was—the girl from history class, Mizuno Ami. He blinked for a moment.

"Sorry," Serena winced.

Orion stared Ami down. She did the same for just a moment before she bashfully looked away. "It's alright. Don't worry about it." He surprised himself with the gentleness in his voice. Since Ami wasn't meeting his eyes, he finally glanced over at her blonde companion. It was like an electric current shot through his veins.

He had seen this girl before—he was sure of it—but where? His mind raced for just a few moments until it hit him. He was usually not one to smile, but he couldn't help himself this time. "I don't believe we've met," He said in a friendly tone.

"Oh," Serena looked a little dazed. She was expecting to get yelled at again for one of her social blunders, but it was quite the opposite. "I'm Serena Tsukino." She glanced over at Ami, who for some reason looked shy. "And this is my friend, Ami Mizuno."

"I know who she is," He said, with a curious tone in his voice. Serena glanced back and forth between the two for a moment then grinned. She looked at her friend. "Ami, you didn't tell me you were friends with such a handsome guy."

"We just have a class or two…" She began.

"Or five," He added with a smirk.

"Ami," Serena shook her head. "You've been holding out on us." She looked at the purple haired boy in front of her. "We'll have to get better acquainted in the near future."

"Absolutely," He nodded.

Ami looked mortified.

"And what is your name?" Serena asked.

"It's Orion Nakamura."

The bell rang and Serena cringed. "We'll have to continue this conversation another time," Serena smiled gingerly and ran off down the hallway.

Orion stepped back out of the doorway and motioned for Ami to go ahead. "After you,"

"Thank you," Ami said. Her head was buzzing with thoughts. That was the most she ever heard him speak, and when she did hear him speak, he was arrogant, rude, and brooding. As much as she would have liked to ignore him, he was too much of an enigma—something mysterious and interesting. For the past few weeks, she found herself more and more trying to unravel that puzzle but to no avail. She took one look back towards him before she took a seat. He seemed quite perky and happy today—how strange.

How lucky was he! His mind had been turning for hours at the library about the Moon family, and with a brief stroke of luck, he managed to find his answer. Being that close—hearing her speak and feeling her aura—he was able to sense her for what she truly was. That girl was Sailor Moon. He was sure of it. She would lead him to the Moon Prince. What a fortunate event! But as he pondered on his great luck, something else seemed to steal the spotlight. He turned his head to the right, glancing across the body of students. Sitting on the other side of the classroom was a girl with sassy blue locks that fell across her pale cheeks. Her deep blue eyes concentrated deeply on her studies. He sighed gently, not exactly knowing why, as a wave of discontentment deflated his recent peak of enthusiasm.

He continued to stare at her. Sometimes, he smirked as he noticed it once again, when she was deep in concentration, her lips started to mouth the words or numbers on the page. He was incredibility good at reading facial expressions and movements. "R = 4.058x10^5 ohms. P1 = 405.8 x10^7 watts," He started mouthing quietly long with her for a few moments. He stopped and only smirked as he turned his attention back to the teacher.

* * *

Draco stayed on the rooftops as he watched the streets below. He hated mingling with humans. Weak was the word that continually played through his mind when he thought of these creatures. They were nothing like him and his kind. Not that there was many of his kind left though. He pushed that thought immediately out of his head.

Somewhere in this rabble, there had to be the Moon Prince. If they wanted to make Beryl happy, they just had to keep searching to find him. Why? He had no idea, but if Beryl was to be pleased, then he had to succeed.

An altercation on the street distracted him from his thoughts. It was early evening, but already, a drunken brawl started in front of a local izakaya. Two men were grabbing at each other furiously while flinging their fists at each other. The owner, an elderly couple, stood outside and yelled at the two to stop while a crowd of on-lookers encouraged them to continue. Suddenly, the fighting men crashed into the red paper lanterns in front of the shop and smashed the decorations. As they crashed, the man who landed on top gained the upper hand and started pounding furiously on the man below him. Soon, the opponent lay on the group bloodied and bruised. The winner stood up victorious but soon wobbled in the street due to the effects of too much sake. The owners continued to chastise the man, but he only spit at them and continued wobbling down the street.

Well, Draco thought, the man was young, and he did seem pretty strong. It was worth a shot. He had to do something otherwise one of the other generals was going to find the Prince. He couldn't let that happen—especially if it was Orion. It was decided then. He would follow along the rooftops until the man was in an isolated position, and then he would strike.

Nearby, two friends ran into each other and decided to spend the rest of their afternoon together. Raye, who was on an errand to the dry cleaners, met up with Lita who was buying a special plant food for one of the exotic plants she kept in her apartment. After they completed their tasks, they headed into a corner coffee shop for something to drink. They got their drinks then chose a corner table in the back. Raye hung her dry cleaning on the back of the chair while Lita set her back down next to her chair.

The two sat quietly for a few moments sipping their hot drinks. She began the conversation in her head multiple times, but each time, the words never came out. This was strange. It never was this difficult to talk to her friend before, but for some reason, it was. This time, as she began, something came out of her mouth, but she stopped mid-sentence. "Have you been…alright…?" Lita trailed off.

Raye jerked her head, breaking out of her daze. She looked over at her friend a bit stunned for a moment. "What?"

"I asked if you're alright," Lita said. "You seem distracted."

Raye looked down into her mug and released a gentle sigh. "Yes, I know." Of course she was distracted. "I'm sorry. I'll be here, I promise." Raye sat up straight and focused her attention on her friend.

Lita shook her head. "No, no, that's not what I mean." Lita set her mug down on the table. "I'm not demanding that you pay attention to me. But, let's solve your problem first. Then we can get back to paying attention to me." Lita winked.

Raye contemplated that thought for a moment as she looked straight at the other girl across the table. It was stunning for a moment as Raye sat there staring. There was such an inner peace and strength about Lita that was difficult to describe. It was as if when the whole world would push, Lita stood firm—unmoved, unchanged—as something to anchor upon. Gentle locks of curly brown hair tumbled down the sides of her face while vivid green eyes, full of concern, stared Raye down.

Raye sighed. She had told some of these things to Serena, but not all of them—the thoughts, feelings, impressions—they were so personal. It was like sharing her very soul. "There's been a lot on my mind lately…"

She stopped. It was as if lightning had struck. Her sixth sense screamed at her.

"What is it?" Lita knew that look.

"Someone's in trouble."

Lita glanced at her bag of potting soil, Raye's dry cleaning, and two unfinished cups of coffee. They'd had to leave them behind, and hope the things would still be there when they returned. The two girls slipped out of the coffee shop. Once they were outside, they broke out into a run.

"Where's the problem?" Lita asked.

"It's close by," Raye stopped for a moment and closed her eyes, but it was only a moment. "There!" She turned left and started running down the alley. Lita had been around Raye too much to ask for an explanation; she just knew to trust Raye's impeccable instincts.

A bright light lit up the darkness of one of the alleyways. Raye reached inside her pocket for her transformation pen. Lita followed suit. Soon, two Sailor Soldiers were ready for action.

His victim had been too drunk to withstand the ritual. Almost immediately, the man passed out when the light entered his body. This was actually quite favorable to the cause, but it did no good. Draco scowled at the sight. This man was worthless. He was not the Moon Prince. What a waste of time!

"Stop right there!"

Draco turned around. Standing at the entrance of the alley were two Sailors ready for battle. Sailor Jupiter stood ready in a martial arts stance while Sailor Mars has her golden bow strung and ready to fire. Draco pondered for a moment. Did they intend to fight? He was finished here, but would they let him go peacefully? He smirked. He never liked leaving a place peacefully. He flung his palms open, igniting his hands to flame.

Golden arrows came flying at him. It was a quick matter of side-stepping them while sending a searing flame to engulf them. Lightning flew shortly afterwards, but it was a matter of dodging the opposite way as before. Soon, fists and kicks came at him. Thrill and excitement started pumping through his veins. This is what he lived for—the thrill of battle!

Oh, they were adamant, he would admit, and they were getting better; however, their skills were not up to par compared to his battle prowess. Sure, they might land a strike or two, but his endurance and strength were not easy to overcome. Their blows were unequally exchanged for harder, swifter, and more crippling blows.

Jupiter couldn't even shriek as she took a blow to the cheek. She sailed through the air before finally colliding with the pavement. Mars didn't fare much better with a swift kick to the stomach. She dubbed over in pain, feeling her breath escape her. Sailor Jupiter picked up her head off the ground. She had to cock her head to the side to see—the left eye was already swelling up. Before she knew it however, she received a swift kick in the face.

"Get away from her!" Sailor Mars managed to yell through the immense pain ripping through her abdomen. She fought to stand to her feet but managed nothing more than coming halfway to an upright position.

Draco turned to her. He remembered this one. He smirked. This one supposedly called herself the Sailor of Fire. He'd have to see about that, he thought as his hands burst into wild flames.

It was like two flame throwers. The hot flames were unnatural and dark—something that was altogether different than her powers. Somehow she knew that she would not be able to withstand this onslaught. All she could do was close her eyes and raise her arms as a shield.

She couldn't open her eyes. Even when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, she couldn't open her eyes. Her head pressed into his strong shoulder as she could feel the heat all around her but not the burn. It was only after many moments of intense flames that she opened her eyes.

Sweat rolled down from his forehead and over his cheeks. He gritted his teeth together as he fought to hold his strength. As her eyes opened wider, there seemed to be an odd blue energy surrounding them. He was protecting them.

She looked up into the white mask. "Tuxedo Samurai," She breathed.

"It's alright," He gritted through his teeth. "Just hold on a little longer."

He was saying this to her? She squeezed her eyes shut, desperately waning to help him. She started to glow with a red tint. The two lights blurred together into a beautiful purple glow. Soon after, the flames stopped. He relaxed his position, standing up straight. He helped her stand as well.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

Mars shook her head. "No,"

The two stood for a moment, staring each other down, as they still held onto each other for support. It seemed like an eternity before the peace was interrupted.

A quick slash came across his back. He screamed out in pain as he dropped to his knees, releasing his grip of her. As Tuxedo Samurai fell to the ground, she saw Draco standing behind him with a fiery axe in his hand and a smirk on his face.

Rage was probably too simple of a word to describe what she was feeling in that moment. Her hands instantly balled up into fists, and her arms shot up to attack Draco. As the two entered into combat, he could only laugh at her wild frenzy. It was violent, unpredictable, and utterly chaotic—something he could relate wholeheartedly to. Now things were starting to get entertaining.

It became even more exciting as Sailor Jupiter managed to get back up on her feet and join the tumble. She seemed just as furious and impassioned as Sailor Mars, and yet, they were not faring much better against the General of Starfire.

Draco leapt back from the frenzy for a moment. He spread his fingers out wide, forming two fiery axes once again within each hand. The Sailors were hesitant, with good reason, to approach. Those axes were deadly.

Perhaps they would never realize just how much they were at a disadvantage. His powers gave him the ability to teleport at incredible speeds. He lunged forward, making use of that ability, towards Mars. She was the closest, the easiest. He stretched forth his arm. The shaft of his fire-formed axe was pointed, ready for stabbing as well as slicing. It would go through her stomach, killing her.

Instead, the axe ricocheted off the edge of a sword. The tip of the axe did manage to find a target. It partially stabbed into Tuxedo Samurai's side, instantly staining his white dress shirt with rich red blood. Tuxedo Samurai's sword, after defending against the axe, came upward in a graceful strike. It caught the upper quadrant of Draco's chest and shoulder. Blood gushed from his wound as well.

Tuxedo Samurai collapsed to one knee while Draco staggered back. Sailor Mars wanted to charge forward, but Tuxedo Samurai held out his good arm, motioning her not to do it. She didn't understand. Now seemed like the time to finish him, but that thought instantly disappeared as a violent and fiery explosion shook the alleyway. She flew back and hit her head.

It probably took a good five minutes for her vision to focus. She crawled up off the ground which only seemed to make her ears ring louder and more painfully. She looked around. Sailor Jupiter seemed to be having the same experience. The Soldier of Lightning stood up wearily and tugged painfully at her earlobes.

Then it hit her. Tuxedo Samurai! She frantically looked all around the alley. There was no sight of him. She felt sick to her stomach all the sudden.

"He's not here." Jupiter managed to say, finding her voice.

"Where is he?" Mars asked, frantically.

Sailor Jupiter nodded her head towards the alley exit. There was smeared blood across the pavement. "He managed to crawl away. My vision was blurred, but he seemed to be able to get away."

"Where did he go? Do you think he's alright?" Goodness, why did she feel like sobbing?

"I think he's okay. I don't think he wouldn't have been able to move at all if he wasn't at least somewhat okay."

Sailor Mars nodded, slightly comforted by that response.

Jupiter retransformed back into her civilian attire. She grabbed at her aching shoulder. She walked over to the man who was attacked and checked on him. "He's breathing."

"He's lucky he didn't get caught in the crossfire" Raye said.

Lita nodded. "We better get back to the café."

Mars nodded and reverted back to her standard clothing as well. The items back at the café seemed to be meaningless after an experience like that.

* * *

He felt like he had been hit by a bus. Every muscle in his body ached. That was the first thing he noticed. The second was that he seemed to be lying on the cold hard wood floor. The next thing was that there was a dull ache at his side. He opened his eyes to a familiar sight. It was his bedroom at the Hikawa Shrine. He looked upwards at the ceiling of the old wooden guesthouse. He turned his head back and forth for a moment. Why was he on the floor? He looked down at his body.

Akira shot up off the floor. His clothes were soaked in cold, wet blood. Frightened he stripped them off his body and looked over his skin. He trembled as he hurriedly examined himself. While his skin was stained with blood, he didn't appear to be bleeding. At his side, close to the right hipbone, there was a long pinkish-red scar. It was large and wide, but it didn't make sense. It looked as if it had been healed for a few days or even weeks. It didn't have the appearance of a fresh wound that would be bleeding.

He stood trembling, wearing only his boxers. His arms came up and crossed over his chest. His heart was pounded wildly in his chest. What was happening to him? Why were these strange things happening to him? The last thing he remembered was walking home from a friend's house, and now he was here in this situation. After a few moments of just pure shock running through his body, he looked over at the clock. It was 7:15am. He had 45 minutes to clean up, get ready, and be in his seat at school. Somehow, this managed to snap him back into reality. Akira immediately headed straight for the bathroom to clean off the blood.

* * *

After something like this morning, it was difficult to concentrate on anything that happened at school. He tried his best to pretend like everything was normal, but he could no longer deny it. Something wasn't right. Akira could no longer stand it. In every class, his mind kept going back to the strange cut he found on his side. Finally, in his fourth class, he asked for special permission to go to the bathroom. It was English class, a class he excelled at, so the teacher was happy to give permission. Quickly, Akira headed into the bathroom. Instead of going into one of the stalls or heading towards the urinals, He looked around the room before standing in front of the mirror at the sink. He untucked the tail of his white dress shirt and pulled the front up. He looked in the mirror for a moment, trying to find the scar. He stretched his body upwards, trying to get a full view of his stomach. There was nothing-only his firmly toned abs. Frantically, he abandoned his efforts in the mirror and looked down with his own eyes. He searched at the sight he saw the scar this morning. Finally, he found a thin line only a little differently colored than his normal skin. He let his shirt fall.

He could barely support his quivering knees. He rested both hands on the bathroom sink and leaned down, staring into the drain for a few moments. He looked up into the mirror—his blue eyes filling with tears. What was happening to him?


	10. Infiltration

**Hello, everyone. Thanks for reading the story. I hope it is going well. Please tell me what you are liking and disliking about the story. I'd love to hear your opinions. **

* * *

**Episode Ten**

**Infiltration**

She stood, viewing another piece of the past—from a time long ago. So far, this method had been fruitless. For all the time spent trying to control Pluto's staff to see the past, very little information was gained. Beryl gritted her teeth together, frustrated to the point where small beads of sweat were rolling down her face. The first vision—the one about the Moon Prince—haunted her to the core. She had to find the answers to ensure her survival.

It was miraculous. Her resurrection should have been impossible; she was as good as dead, and yet, a spark of chaos managed to reanimate her dead body. Perhaps it wasn't really Beryl—only an shadow or shell of what she once was—or perhaps the spark of chaos really did bring her back. Nobody really knew. All they did know, is that she appeared to be back to full strength and perhaps even stronger. This time, she planned her world conquest a little differently. She had made a plan, subjugated servants to do her bidding, and made the necessary preparations. As part of those preparations, she kidnapped Sailor Pluto. She needed Pluto's staff to foresee any problems—and problems she did see. The very first time she used the staff, she was shown the means to her destruction—the Moon Prince.

They had watched countless moments of the past world. None of them were worth any while though. And yet another one played before them. It was different than usual. An empty hallway, richly decorated with marble pillars, golden ornate flowers, and beautiful artwork on the walls. A close Earthly comparison might be the walking through some of the famous art museums of Europe or the palaces of royalty. Soon, the sound of heels clicked against the solid marble floor.

This flashback was strange. It was Sailor Mars—not the Moon Prince. She didn't walk like her usual confident self. Instead, she walked slowly and carefully, stopping frequently to check over her shoulder. As she passed each large window, she seemed to nod her head, as if counting them. She stopped at the seventh window and looked outside. The Sea of Serenity was a rich blue color—absolutely mesmerizing. (Her planet did not have many large bodies of water.) She barely noticed his approach. She only noticed when he was standing right next to her.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" He asked, causally.

She however spun around quickly and flung her arms around the Moon Prince. "Gods, I've missed you."

He understood her reaction completely and breathed a sigh of relief when she fell into his arms. He inhaled her scent as he rested his head on top of hers. They stood like that for a few minutes as she buried her face into his chest, and he stroked her hair.

Finally, she pulled her head up and took a step back. "Lír, please tell me the rumors aren't true."

He looked away from her, out the window.

She had her answer and so she sighed. "The Princess will not like this."

Prince Lír looked a little annoyed. He had already had this conversation with the Princess just minutes ago. "It doesn't matter what she _likes_; it's her safety I am concerned with keeping."

"I know _that_, but we both know how Serenity's going to handle it."

Lír brought his hand up to his forehead and rubbed his aching temples.

"Let's face it, that sister of yours is about as stubborn as they come," Mars said.

Lír nodded in agreement. "Yes, I know. That's probably why I have a stubborn wife as well."

"Shhhh!" Sailor Mars reached up, almost covering his mouth. She looked around frantically for anyone who might have heard. "You shouldn't say things like that so loudly," She whispered.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't stand so close to me," He breathed back, his lips only centimeters from hers, before he captured her in a kiss.

She enjoyed it too much to pull away immediately. After all, they had been separated for almost a month. But eventually, her senses came back to her. She pulled away. "Not here."

"Yes, here." He said, trailing down her jawline with kisses towards her neck as he pulled her closer to himself.

"Lír, I'm serious," She did say in her serious and authoritative tone.

He stopped, taking her seriously. He stood straight up and straightened his uniform as if nothing happened.

"I'm sorry," She said, truly sorry. Her violet eyes started to form heavy tears.

"No," He shook his head. He took another chance and reached out his hand to touch her cheek. Tears spilled from her eyes as she reached up to place her hand over his.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry we have to live like this," He said.

She took a step closer to him, and they were back in each other's embrace.

"I promise, when this is all over, I'll tell them. I'll tell everyone." Lír stroked her hair once again. He looked down at her, hating to see the tears that poured out of her eyes.

"I love you," was she could manage to choke out from her tears.

"I love you too," He said before sighing hopelessly.

The two of them had a secret, and secrets were oh so difficult to keep.

The image of the past slowly faded away. All that was left was the darkness of Queen Beryl's courtroom. Beryl stood stern and silent like a statue while four curious faces stared upon her. Draco and Lyra glanced back and forth at one another trying to non-verbally communicate between one another about what was happening. Aludra stood quiet, studying the look on Beryl's face. Was the Queen please with the results or was this another failure? Orion was quiet too, but it was obvious that the gears were turning inside that head of his.

It was Draco to break the silence—probably because he was the dumbest of them all. "What do you think it means, my Lady?"

"Does Sailor Mars know who the Moon Prince is then?" Lyra asked. "Maybe we should be attacking her instead?"

"Being reborn does not give on access to all past memories. In fact, they are usually locked away in the subconscious," Aludra said. "They can only be brought to the surface through special means…" She grinned. "…such as magic."

"Then it might be possible to torture something useful out of Sailor Mars?" Draco asked, looking a little too happy about that prospect. Sure, the wound on his chest, from his last encounter with Sailor Mars, headed but his pride hadn't.

It was time to offer one of his freebies. "You cannot make her recall something that isn't there. Sailor Mars cannot tell us anything useful about the Moon Prince unless she knows something about the _reborn_ Moon Prince," Orion said.

"Do you think she knows something about the _reborn_ Moon Prince then?" Lyra looked hopeful.

"I doubt it," Orion crossed his arms over his chest. "They'll all seem oblivious from what I've seen and heard. I think we know more than they do at this point."

"And why should we listen to you, Orion?" Draco hissed.

"Then _don't_," Orion looked unphased by the challenge.

"Silence!" The Queen boomed.

The squabbling ceased immediately. The four Generals turned their attention directly to the Queen. She looked as if she was fighting the urge to scream at them for a moment. "We will begin the pursuit of Sailor Mars as well as the Moon Prince."

"But why?" Lyra said, "Orion said…"

Goodness, Orion even knew well enough to challenge the Queen when she made a decision, and here, Lyra was challenging her with his own advice. He couldn't help but flinch.

The Queen managed her anger very well though. "What Orion doesn't realize is the power that mortals assign to foolish pursuits and passions such as love." She could not help but think of that supposed "love" bond between Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity. Although she still despised and mocked such ideals, she wasn't as foolish as she once was to deny the power it gave to mortal beings.

Orion looked up as she said these things. What did she mean by that? Was she suggesting that he didn't know what love was? Memories long buried started to scratch from their burial place inside his soul. It had been so long that yes, perhaps, he had forgotten what it was to care about anything or anyone—even himself. He immediately pushed those uncomfortable feelings aside. He had more important matters to attend to at the moment.

Beryl continued to explain her reasons. "If we have any hope or link to finding the Moon Prince, this is it. I'm putting Sailor Mars at the top of our priority list. Continue to search for the Prince, and when the Sailors come meddling in our affairs, then that is when we will pursue Sailor Mars."

"Pursue?" Aludra needed clarification.

"Capture, if possible," Beryl said, matter of fact. "Destroy, if necessary."

* * *

She was one of those girls—at least right now she was—and she hated it. Instead of paying attention to the overarching themes of _The Tale of the Heike, _she found her mind wandering to the boy who sat a few feet away. Perhaps it was not what everyone would assume—oh no, there was much more to it than that. Something was different about him, but she couldn't place what it was.

Ami's mind worked in vain to put all the strange facts, impressions, and feelings together into one coherent picture. She pressed her fist into her cheek and stared ahead at the boy. It was strange. For the past few days, ever since he nearly collided with her at the door, he seemed to have a better attitude. He actually did his class assignments and wasn't nearly as rude to everyone around him. However, he hadn't said a word to her since that day. It dawned on her that he only spoke up when Serena was with her. She sighed—another guy who was interested in Serena.

She blinked furiously. What was she thinking? Why was she getting—well, jealous—just because some guy was interested in Serena? That happened all the time—Melvin, Darien, Alan, Seiya, and the list went on. Why should this time be any different? It's not like she had time to—she blushed at the thought—have a boyfriend anyway. She shook her head again. Why was she thinking about having a boyfriend? Somehow, the teacher's voice broke through her distracted thoughts and she started to pay attention again.

"As you can see, _The Tale of the Heike _presents the classic Buddhist principle of impermanence. Nothing lasts forever in this world, and as demonstrated through the saga, we can see the fall of the great Taira no Kiyomori."

And then she saw something she never expected to see. Orion Nakamura politely raised his hand. The sensei looked just about as shocked at first, but then his face contorted into a stern look. "Mr. Nakamura, please save your arguments for the end of class or perhaps _never_…"

"I have a question," Orion said.

"A question?" The sensei looked suspicious.

"Yes, a question," Orion said, unusually patient.

"What is it?" The sensei looked a bit tortured to ask.

"Why do you think impermanence is viewed as a positive characteristic of existence?"

The Sensei's countenance changed once again. He looked as if his life as a literature instructor was finally validated. It was one of those questions teachers dream about being asked. He finally found his voice after a few moments. "It is interesting that you interpreted the role of impermanence in the world as positive. Perhaps I could suggest it is more neutral? Change can be good or bad, and it can be simultaneously good or bad. It can also be good for some and bad for others—the possibilities are endless."

"But humans have accepted it—impermanence. They don't challenge it. They don't fight it."

Ami perked up at that statement. He spoke as if somehow he was not connected to it, yet he sounded very concerned with it.

"How could we change it or fight it, Mr. Nakamura?" The Sensei said, kindly—apparently still elated by the intellectual stimulation. "We are mortal. We are that the mercy of universal laws beyond our power or understanding."

Orion sat quietly for a few moments. "I suppose you are right," was all he could say, but Ami noticed the hollowness of his words. She knew he didn't believe that.

After looking at the clock, the Sensei clasped his hands together. "That was truly a thought provoking question. Now that I am inspired, I'm going to change your assignment for tonight. I want each of you to write an essay on the role you believe impermanence plays in the world. What is your opinion on this particular topic? Is it a positive, neutral, or perhaps negative aspect of our universe?" He raised his voice as students started packing up. "Minimum of three pages, please!"

The students groaned. They had one more reason to hate Orion Nakamura.

Orion however either did not notice the dirty looks shot at him or didn't care. He casually tucked away his notebook and textbook into a messenger bag. That was another strange thing as well. He usually came to class completely unprepared, but recently, he started bringing all his supplies. Orion finished and turned towards the door to leave. Ami quickly spun towards the door as well so he wouldn't notice her staring. She quickly exited the room with her classmates. He was a few steps behind though. She immediately hugged the wall of the hallway and stopped, pretending she had to take care of something. He passed her without noticing her presence in the crowd.

"Hey, Ami!" A bright and bubbly voice called out to her.

She recognized it immediately and turned away from the wall. "Hello, Serena."

The happy blonde stood with a warm smile on her face and a book in her hand. She was eager to see her friend. "Goodness, that last class was boring!" Serena said.

"Oh, Serena," Ami said as they began to walk down the hallway together. Ami knew Serena's schedule as well as her own. How could Serena call biology boring?

"What did you have again?" Serena looked at the stack of books in Ami's arms, but still couldn't piece together what class it was.

"I had Japanese Literature." The class was actually called, "_Advanced_ _Japanese Literature_," but Ami left out the "_Advanced"_ part. She learned early on that she needed to do things like that in order not to be thought of as conceited.

Very soon, as they moved towards the cafeteria for lunch, Ami and Serena were flanked by Mina and Lita. The four of them almost always ate lunch together. As they pushed through the crowd, Serena, who forgot her packed lunch, asked to borrow money to buy a school lunch.

"Oh, look!" Serena rudely pointed into the crowd once they entered the cafeteria. She pointed at a purple haired student carefully examining all the cafeteria food and wrinkling his nose at most of it. "Ami, it's that cute guy you have all those classes with!"

Ami about wanted to die right then and there.

"Cute guy?" Mina immediately perked up. Her left hand instantly went to smoothing her hair down, and her right hand was in her bag looking for a mirror.

"How come we haven't heard anything about this?" Lita asked with a wink.

"There was nothing worth mentioning," Ami said, face furiously red. "I barely know him."

"Let's ask him to sit with us!" Serena piped up.

Mina and Lita immediately chorused, "Yes," while Ami said, "No." Ami's voice, however, was completely drowned out by the other girls' enthusiasm. Serena began to march up to Orion, but Ami tried to protest.

"Serena, I don't think that's a good idea…"

Orion's face looked extremely sour after looking at an industrial sized steel pot of miso soup made by the cafeteria. He noticed a group of girls approaching him, and he turned away from the food. It was Sailor Moon. The look on his face instantly relaxed.

"Hey, how are you?" Serena asked.

"I'm fine, Serena, and yourself?"

Serena giggled, a little embarrassed. "Oh, you remember my name. I'm sorry, I…"

"It's alright," He said, forgivingly. He pondered for a moment. It wasn't his style, but he had to do it. If he wanted to find out more information, he was going to have to put himself into their world. He was going to have to flirt with her—make her trust him. "Your name is quiet too lovely to forget. Mine on the other hand…"

"Oh," Serena waved her hand bashfully. "Aren't you the charmer!"

Mina looked a little upset, Ami noticed. Mina didn't like the fact that _another_ cute guy completely had a thing for Serena. She always got the cute guys! Mina did what Mina did best though—she inserted herself into the situation.

"What is your name, charmer boy?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

At first, he looked like he didn't care, but he studied her for a moment. Once he realized that this girl who stood before him was Sailor Venus, he smiled back. "It's Orion."

Mina looked elated but for the wrong reasons. In that moment, his first hesitation and then smile seemed like he took a moment to appraise her and then found her worthy, but in all reality, he only cared about her sailor status.

Orion's eyes then moved to the tall brunette. He studied for her for a moment too. Sailor Jupiter he thought to himself. His eyes finally fell on Ami. She wasn't looking at him though. He beamed the most when he looked at her. He finally understood it. All the frustrating thoughts and feelings he had when looking at her made sense. He wasn't feeling anything for this mortal girl—he was just sensing her identity. That's why she stuck out in his mind for weeks now. That's what he told himself anyway.

"Do you want to eat lunch with us?" Lita asked.

Orion glanced back towards the cafeteria food. "If you can call _this_ lunch."

The girls all laughed, except Ami.

Mina slid her arm to lock with his. She led him away from the cafeteria food. "We can share our lunch with you. Lita always packs too much anyway."

"Thanks for volunteering _my_ lunch," Lita said.

"You're welcome," Mina looked back at Lita and winked. She looked absolutely thrilled to be locking arms with Orion.

The five of them sat down at a table. Soon, the chopsticks were passed out, and dishes were laid across the table ready to be devoured. Serena took that to heart and she neglected her school lunch in favor of Lita's tempura from one of the bento boxes. Orion was hesitant at first to eat, but the girls insistent. He reached out with his chopsticks and tried from of the food. He had to admit that the Sailors did have good taste.

Despite the delicious food, he could not relax. Something was wrong. There were only four of them. There were five Sailors. He sensed their true identities, but one was missing. The goofy blonde one was Sailor Moon. The tall brunette was Sailor Jupiter. The obnoxiously flirty one was Sailor Venus. Of course, Ami was Sailor Mercury, but perhaps one of the most important sailors was not there—Sailor Mars. The Queen wanted the Moon Prince and Sailor Mars. Where were they? He'd just have to be patient, he reasoned.

It was odd though. He wasn't used to so much—well, cheeriness. They all seemed happy, vivacious, and full of energy. Well, only three of them seemed happy. The blue haired girl seemed withdrawn and saddened by something. It was difficult to not pay attention to the other girls' flamboyant moments and loud voices, but from time to time he would look over at Ami. Her continence did not change. What was wrong with her? He studied her curiously for a few moments.

It was then that she noticed him staring. They locked eyes for just a brief moment before she looked away. The table suddenly quieted, noticing the moment between the two.

A puzzled look washed across Orion's face. It was jealously. He could feel it. That's why the blue haired girl seemed so withdrawn. But why was she jealous?

"Anyway," Lita continued, giving Ami a moment to recover herself. "We'll have to call Raye and get her in on this,"

Orion's ears perked up. "May I ask who Raye is? You've mentioned her three times now."

"Ah," Mina said. "She's our friend. She goes to a different school."

"A good friend?" Orion asked causally.

"You could say that," Mina answered back just as causally.

Orion nodded. This Raye person might be worth exploring.

"We can't call her tonight," Serena said. "It's her chore night. She's always moody on chore night."

* * *

It had been a long day. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that Raye was able to start her chores, and it wasn't until late at night when she finally finished polishing the last of the bells in the haiden hall. She stepped out of the main building into the courtyard and immediately headed for her bedroom. The air was crisp and chill—a perfect night for view the stars.

The moonlight illuminated her path as walked over the stone steps in the courtyard. It was a beautiful night. She passed one of the other halls to the Shrine. Akira was sitting on the roof. She noticed, but she didn't process. Akira was on the roof! She stopped dead in her tracks and put her hands on her hips. "Hey, what are you doing up there?!" She demanded.

"Hello to you too, Princess." He said, unfazed by her tone.

"You're not supposed to be up there!"

"Why do you join me?"

"What?" It was so absurd that she forgot to be angry. "Come up there with you?"

"Yeah," He said, "It'll be fun."

She appraised the situation for a moment. "How in the world did you get up there anyway?" she asked, noticing the roof was quite a few meters off the ground. "What are you—some kind of monkey man?"

He didn't respond to that. "The roof is closer to the ground in the back, and there's a stack of crates you can use to climb up." He stood up from his sitting position. "I'll meet you back there."

"I didn't say I would…" He had already disappeared to the other side. "…do it," She finished to herself. She sighed and followed him behind to the other side. He stood waiting for her at the spot she'd have to climb up. It still looked like quite a feat to get up there. "Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry, I'll help you."

She wasn't so convinced, but she started to climb up the crates. She'd need a little help to get herself up off the crates and fully onto the roof. Akira reached out his hand to help pull her up. She gave on last push off the crates with her feet.

Akira grunted ridiculously loud as he had to support some of her weight through his arms.

"Oh, I'm not that heavy!" She snapped.

He laughed loudly as he received the reaction he wanted. He pulled her up to the roof, and they both stood. He headed towards the top to find his seat on the other side. She followed him.

She had never been up here before, but she could see why it appealed to him. They were almost above the trees, letting the see the full moon bathe the temple with its purplish haze. The stars above them twinkled brightly in the sky, as if putting on a show just for them.

They were quiet for a long time, just absorbing the scene before them. It was such a beautiful night. It took her a long time to break that peace. "This is highly irreverent, you know," She finally said, half-heartedly scolding him.

"No, it's not," He said, looking over at her. "I did it in Kyoto all the time." He could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to hear more. He looked back at the full moon. "Tsukiyama Shrine—its name means _moon mountain_. Tsukiyama Shrine was built on a hill that was favored for viewing the moon. So, really, I'm just doing what our blessed ancestors did."

Raye looked at the Moon too. It _was_ beautiful.

Akira sighed contently and leaned back, resting his back against the roof. He tucked his arms behind his head and continued to stare at the moon. "When I was little, I used to have this dream about the moon."

Raye looked over at him. His face was entirely peaceful.

"There was this palace and a beautiful Queen lived there, but she was very sad." Akira said, his voice seemingly reflecting some of that sadness as well.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did he know something? That thought was interrupted with his laugh.

"I'm sorry," He said. "That's silly, I know. I was just a kid."

Raye shook her head. "No, it's okay." Her heart pounded anxiously. He had no idea how close he was to uncovering a truth. She looked away, back towards the Moon. How could he know about such things? He couldn't. It must have been a coincidence.

A few moments of silence passed between them. "I was always quite imaginative as a child," He said. "Perhaps I should be a writer?"

"Yeah," Raye smirked. "A tabloid writer—your stories are crazy enough."

Akira shot upright from his resting position. He held out his hand as if highlighting a headline of a newspaper. "Mysterious—_and Irreverent_—Monkey Man seen atop Hikawa Shrine, see page 6 for more about this shocking story!"

She laughed until her sides ached. Oh, she hadn't laughed like that in a long time—not since Serena accidently snorted cola fizz and ran around the Crown Fruit Parlor screaming her head off. It felt so good just to laugh.

They sat up there for what seemed like ages. Sometimes they were silent while in other moments they talked and laughed about many things. Raye sat with her knees bend upward towards her chest. She had her arms wrapped around her legs to keep warm. He, however, continued to lay across the roof with his hands behind his head as if taking a nap. It wasn't until she noticed that it was almost ten that she suggested that they head in for the night.

"I think I'll stay out here a little longer," He said.

"That's all good for you, but some of us have to get up early."

"Early?" He asked. "Why? It's my turn for the morning chores. I don't know why I'm reminding you though. I should just let you do them, even if it's not your turn."

She shot him a teasingly dirty look for that remark, but she clarified the situation for him anyway. "I still have to get ready for school, you know—shower, eat breakfast, get my uniform ready, and the make-up routine takes a while…"

"Make-up routine?" He said, almost flippantly. "What for? You're already beautiful."

She fell extremely quiet.

"What?" He looked over at her, wondering if he offended her.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Goodness she was glad they were sitting in the dark otherwise he might see her blushing.

"Well," He began awkwardly, "I mean…you know…" He sighed, frustrated with his inability to speak. "Oh come on, it's not like you don't already know. I swear, all beautiful girls know they're beautiful. It's like this _thing_."

"What _thing_?"

"This _thing_!" He insisted. "Beautiful girls know they're beautiful. They just know it. And flaunt it everywhere they go."

"Some girls are like that, I suppose," She admitted. She knew a few at her school like that. Was there a chance for girls who didn't feel beautiful to actually be beautiful—goodness, she hoped so, but she dared not ask it. This was already getting uncomfortable as it was.

"Maybe I will go inside now," He said, clearly just as uncomfortable with the moment as well. They both got up from their seats and headed back to the other side of the roof. He helped her climb down first then he followed. They headed around the building and broke off to towards separate directions once they reached the courtyard, only bidding one another a quick goodnight.


	11. Taking a Stand

**Episode Eleven**

**Taking a Stand**

Life was stressful. That was a fact. Raye lay in her bed, moments before her alarm clock would go off, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. There was that dream again. The man in the tuxedo pursued her nightly. While it was an incredible relief to know that she was not dreaming about Tuxedo Mask, it was still upsetting to be having dreams like that about a complete stranger. They were so intimate—words of affection and devotion followed by a kiss.

The man in the tuxedo—well, he wasn't a complete stranger anymore. The man in her dreams was Tuxedo Samurai. Both of them dressed in tuxedoes and bore the Moon Kingdom symbol upon their foreheads. But who was he really? Raye sighed as she lay there. Whoever he was, he was willing to help. It was possible that twice now he had saved her life—at least once for sure. Images of dark fiery flames flashed in her mind's eye. The last time she fought against Draco, his flames nearly engulfed her. But Tuxedo Samurai held onto her so tightly, protecting her from Draco's flames. There was so much passion and concern in his eyes. How could someone she barely knew feel that way?

There was one time, when she was ruminating about these things, when a small spark ignited within her imagination. Ever since then, she did everything in her mental power to douse that flame, and yet, it still wound creep into her thoughts. She had been scared to death that the man in her dreams was Tuxedo Mask because she knew he was destined to be with Serena, but was something similar happening with Tuxedo Samurai? Did the fact that she saw him in her dreams mean something? Were they—she gulped at the thought—destined too? And that is where she shut that thought process down. Nothing in life was ever that easy.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Raye groaned and reached over to slam the off button on her alarm clock. She threw back the covers and rolled out of bed. The first thing she always did in the morning was head to the bathroom for a shower. She opened the sliding doorway to the deck and stepped outside into the cool morning air. Late autumn and cool temperatures were fast approaching. She wrapped her arms around herself for a moment to keep warm as she stared off towards the morning sunrise.

Although she tried to kill them off, her thoughts when back to sensitive places. What if all meant something? What if they were destined? She sighed at the thought. The way he looked at her—even through that mask—she could feel intensity and emotion radiating off him, and it was all for her. And as much as she would hate to admit it, she felt drawn to him. Not just because of the affection he showed her, it was much deeper than that. It was as if her heart knew something her mind didn't—as if she had those feelings all along but just had forgotten the details.

"Um, hello, Princess?"

Raye snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh?"

Akira stood a few meters away from her on the ground. He had been waving his hand repeatedly to get her attention. He let it rest at his side once he had her attention. "Tired, are we?" He asked.

No, that wasn't it. Instead of coming up with some lie, she only smiled. "Sorry, what do you need?"

He smirked. "Nothing,"

"Then what are you bothering me for? Can't you see I was doing something really important?" Her smile grew wider as she said that, knowing that would elicit a reaction.

He turned, trying to see what she was looking at. She expected a smug response, but he didn't provide it. "Well, I have to admit the sunrise is particularly beautiful today."

"Yeah, I'm surprised you're not up on the roof viewing it."

"That's actually not a bad idea," He said. "But, I have a lot to get done before school this morning."

"Like what?"

"Mina and I have to meet up before school."

"Why?" Raye immediately crossed her arms over her chest. Why did she feel sick all the sudden?

Akira didn't seem to notice her posture change. "Ah, we have a project due in health class. We've got to give an—_oh so exciting_—presentation on the gallbladder today." He sighed. "It's one of those mandatory classes we all have to take. I got stuck with it first semester and so did Mina. It might not be so bad if the teacher wasn't such a drone."

Raye nodded a bit impatiently. She needed to step away for a moment. For some reason, she just felt sick to her stomach. After he seemed to be finished talking, she excused herself to continue with her morning routine. He bid her a good morning then left to take care of his own things. After he was gone, the tension eased. What was wrong with her?

* * *

They were working in the laboratory. Advanced Chemistry usually was very thrilling for her. It was a chance to put theories and hypothesis into action. Today, she studied the thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate. She properly prepared the experiment and began recording the results on her personal clipboard when she was finished. She worked alone today since there were an odd number of students in the class. The instructor trusted her to work alone, which truly was a compliment, but she sighed at the thought.

Often she was told that she would make an outstanding scientist. And perhaps she could agree with those comments to a certain extent, but for her, something was missing—the human element. She didn't always like working and being alone. As much as she loved studying and learning, she didn't want to feed her mind at the expense of her heart and soul—perhaps that's why becoming a doctor suited her really well. She couldn't help but smile at that thought.

As the clipboard came down, she got a look at the purple haired boy across the room. He looked utterly bored, but still, continued to do his work at his laboratory station. She watched as the bored look on his face turned to irritable when his lab partner was apparently writing down the wrong information. Ami shook her head. It wasn't kind to treat people who struggled academically so poorly.

Just as much as she was displeased with him at the moment, she was displeased with herself. Why did she find herself so drawn to someone like that? What was wrong with her? They had so many classes together and in every one of them, she found herself staring at him. So often, he seemed sullen and angry, but something told her that there was more to it than that. She wanted to know. Curiosity was perhaps one of the more negative aspects of her intellect at times.

She glanced back to her work once he started coming her way. Soon she heard muttered profanity and unkind words as he walked by to the supply closet.

"…what a stupid idiot…" He mumbled, almost incoherently.

Ami looked up towards Orion's table. She had known his partner since middle school, and knew the boy wasn't idiot. She couldn't help herself. She threw down the clipboard and turned towards Orion. She put down the clip board a little more forcefully than she realized because everyone started staring.

It caught Orion's attention too. He looked at her, holding a boiling tube in each hand. "What?" He said in his usual rude response.

"It is very disrespectful and unkind of you to be speaking that way about your classmates." She said with her head held high.

A pin could be dropped in the room, and everyone would hear it. They all looked on wide-eyed as Ami stood before Orion, challenging him. After she said it, her chest seemed to be heaving a bit—as if it was difficult for her to breathe.

His irritation morphed into something new. Most of the time, his irritation was a passive and detached emotion—as if he was an outside observer who didn't like the channel he was watching at the moment. But something shifted in that moment. Emotion got in the way. "What does it matter to you?"

Ami glanced over at Orion's partner. The expression on the boy's face looked as if he was screaming, _"I'm not worth it! Don't do it!"_ But that was exactly why Ami had to do it. He was a human being and worth something. She looked back over at Orion and her brow furrowed in frustration. "Takahashi-san is my classmate. It matters to me if you begin unnecessarily insulting him."

"That's all noble of you," He said, trying to rationalize his behavior. "But you're not the one who has to redo the experiment again because some moron can't…"

"That's enough!" Ami snapped.

The entire class gasped.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Her circulating blood roared through her ears as her head throbbed with an almost instant headache. She tried to calm her breath but it was to no avail.

Orion stood dumbfounded for a moment. He then composed himself. "I simply don't understand why you're getting upset, it's really…

"I'm not upset!" She snapped. The class shuttered again.

Orion laughed. For someone who was usually cold and aloof, this laugh was rich and vibrant. Perhaps at any other time but this moment, it would be wonderful to hear. Instead, it only made Ami more incensed. He couldn't help but laugh more as her nose wrinkled up even more.

"I fail to see how any of this is humorous!" She rattled off. Now she was shaking. The bemused smirk on his face only made her want to slap him. She was that angry. Finally, the rage came pouring out. The dam had broken. "Nakamura-san, you are nothing but an arrogant, rude, uncompassionate, condescending…conceited…bad-mannered…" It became difficult for her to think of more insults.

He looked unfazed by all this. "Are you finished now?"

"No!" She failed her arms. "I just can't…I…" She couldn't find her words.

"Well," He said, causally. "That was a start."

"What?" She said. Was this all a game to him?

He sighed gently, pondering for a moment. He glanced away, wistful. "It is a good thing to express emotion. There is a sort of truth to it."

How dare he lecture her about emotions! She stood there trembling with anger but the only thing she could do was cry. A small stream of tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

"What is going on here?" The Sensei walked back into the classroom and immediately noticed the tense atmosphere.

Highly unlike herself, Ami hastily walked out of the class, keeping her face shielded with her shaggy blue hair. She left without a word, not even asking permission from the Sensei.

"Where is she going?" The Sensei looked flabbergasted that Ami broke the rules.

Orion turned his attention to the Sensei. "Mizuno-san is feeling ill. That is why she left in such a hurry."

"Oh, I see," The Sensei's face relaxed greatly. "Should I go and check on her."

Orion shook his head causally. "No, Sensei, that will not be necessary. She just needs a moment to herself, I think."

The Sensei nodded but the entire class still looked wide-eyed. They dared not challenge Orion's story so they quietly went back to work.

Meanwhile, Ami ran. She ran to the only safe place she knew. She ran down many flights of stairs towards the basement of the school. At the last series of steps before the basement, Ami sat down in a secluded stairwell and cried. She pulled her knees up to her chest and just cried. Her face went into her hands—too ashamed to look at the world. She didn't know what to think or feel.

How was it possible? How could someone like him cause such an emotional reaction? How could someone like him make her feel so much? She thought about what she just did—she had an emotional outburst in class. And it was his fault! He made her feel different, oh so different. Different was scary.

* * *

He skipped the last class. He just wasn't in the mood. Orion sat on the roof of the school while writing in his little notebook. He was supposed to be studying—well, studying about the Moon Prince, that is. He wasn't doing a very good job of that either. He might scratch down a word or two, but then his mind would wander to events earlier that day. Over and over again, he couldn't help replaying Mizuno-san's words in his head. She was so angry that she was shaking. From what he could gather, she was not the kind of person to do something like that.

Goodness, she fascinated him.

He flipped back to one of the earlier pages in the small notebook. Clipped into the book with a paper clip, Ami's picture sat between the pages. He stared at it for a few moments. He had stolen it from the office and kept it tucked away in his little book. In this little book, he kept all his plans, ideas, and impressions that he gathered about the hunt for the Moon Prince. Ever since he saw Mizuno-san, he could not get her out of his mind. It took a few weeks, but he was able to realize her identity.

Orion was an expert at reading people's auras and emotions. Whether that was a part of his abilities being born with the power of Starskill or if it was because of the long time he had to study the human race, Orion was able to sense things that bypassed ordinary people. Now he knew why this girl could not leave his thoughts—she was Sailor Mercury. That's why his feelings were going haywire. Well, now that he had the answer, why did the feelings still linger?

The school bell rang. Today was the today. He was going to follow the Sailors after school. Perhaps they would lead him somewhere interesting. Perhaps they would say something that could bring enlightenment to his quest. Perhaps he would even find the Moon Prince. He closed his eyes for a bring moment. He disappeared.

He reappeared on the school grounds. He lingered in the shadows of the school building as students poured outside. He studied their schedules for the past two weeks. On Fridays, all of them left the school building immediately after school. This day appeared to be no different as the four friends exited the school. He moved into the crowd and kept a safe distance away from them.

* * *

"Oh, that was so delicious!" Serena held both hands over her stomach as the group walked out on the Crown Fruit Parlor. Serena had wiped out two cheese burgers, a mini pizza, and a larger order of French fries with a cola as well.

Mina looked at her friend in wonder. "Where do you put it all? I don't understand."

"Or how do you not weigh a thousand kilos?" Raye added. "If I ate like that…"

"I've been studying about black holes in science class." Lita smirked.

"We can call her Sailor _Black Hole_," Raye snickered.

"And I know what _hole_ you can shut, Raye!"

They walked for a moment in silence before Ami spoke up. "I actually have a theory about Serena's appetite. I haven't had much time to test it, but it's an interesting project for another day I suppose."

"And what theory is that?" Lita asked.

"Why am I being discussed like I'm some science project?" Serena frowned, folding her arms over her chest.

Ami continued. "I believe some of Serena's powers as Sailor Moon actually increase her metabolism, creating the need for her body to constantly replenish."

"What?" Serena looked confused.

"Your powers make you hungry, donut brain!" Raye snapped.

"It's a curse!" Serena exclaimed. "You know," She paused for a moment. "Donuts sound really good right now."

The others sighed.

It was then that they heard a scream.

"Forget the donuts! We've got trouble!" Mina said.

It was only a matter of minutes until the five girls found a safe place to transform into their alternative identities and rushed to the scene of the crime. The pink haired girl was back! Lyra, with a crystal in her hand, stood over a helpless and passed out boy lying on the ground. He was young and handsome, but he was not the Moon Prince.

Lyra sighed. "What a shame. You were so cute. I thought for sure…" She said to the body at her feet.

"Get away from that boy!" Sailor Moon stood with her hands on her hips.

Lyra turned around to see five Sailors beginning to surround her. They were in an isolated parking lot with surprisingly few cars at the moment. The Sailors weaved in between the cars to get closer to her. "I'm done now. We can all go home. See you later!"

"Not so fast!" Sailor Jupiter said, moving into an attack pose.

"That's right!" Sailor Mars added.

"You have to pay for your crimes!" Sailor Venus said.

"As Soldiers of love and justice, we cannot let you get away with such atrocities!" Sailor Mercury spoke up.

"In the name of the Moon, we will punish you!" Sailor Moon finished the speech.

Lyra blinked. "That was really lame, you guys."

The Sailors blinked.

"What do you mean—_lame_?" Sailor Moon looked offended.

"Oh," Lyra shrugged her shoulders and batted her long eyelashes. "You don't need to worry about it. You'll be dead soon anyway!"

Sailor Jupiter charged forward. That was something not to say to a hot-tempered Sailor soldier. The two started exchanging attacks.

Lyra, while still not to be trifled with, was not as skilled as a combatant as Draco. Her abilities lay in other places. She found herself a bit at a disadvantage when battling it out with Sailor Jupiter, someone known for her hand-to-hand combat skills. It wasn't long until Lyra took a blow to the face. Blood trickled out of her nose and down her face. She left back out of the fray and reached up towards her nose.

She started to pout. "You'll get blood on my new outfit, you terrible Sailors!"

Mars raised an eyebrow. "I think that's the least of your worries."

High up atop of the building next to the parking lot, Orion stood on the roof watching the scene below. He didn't know that Lyra had planned to attack today. He had followed the Sailor Scouts all afternoon, and when they heard the scream of an innocent, he followed them into battle. He watched from afar as they transformed and confronted Lyra.

"So how long have you been standing there, just watching?" A voice asked.

Orion spun around. It wasn't often that something or someone could sneak up on him. Draco stood behind him. His face instantly hardened. "You've been following me!"

"Yes," Draco said. "I don't trust you, and I never will!"

"I have my ways and you have yours." Orion turned his attention back to the scene below.

"You're nothing but a coward!" Draco spat. "You should be fighting like the rest of us!"

"Now is not the time to fight!"

"Queen Beryl wants us to find the Moon Prince, and you're doing nothing!" Draco said. "You look like nothing but a traitor!"

"It's really none of your damn business how I choose to serve!" Orion snapped.

Draco charged at Orion. It was so sudden that not even Orion's special abilities could help him much in that moment. Draco's fist flew into his face, and he fell backwards. Instead of falling down on the roof of the building, he tumbled over the edge. He fell down about six meters to the ground and landed on the hard pavement of the parking lot close to Lyra.

"Oh my!" She gasped.

Everyone looked up. A red haired figure stood looking over the edge of the building. Quickly, Draco disappeared, and he reappeared right next to Lyra.

Slowly and painfully, Orion picked himself up off the ground. His left arm and cheek were scrapped up and bloodied. The glasses he used as a disguise at the school were cracked and twisted. Once the Sailors got a good look at him, they gasped.

"Orion?" Sailor Mercury said, barely above a whisper, to herself. What was going on? Why was Orion Nakamura here at this time?

"Now is the time to fight!" Draco said. "You're either with us or against us!"

Orion held his bleeding arm. He exchanged a furious look with Draco before looking over at the Sailors. He saw the stunned look on their faces. His eyes couldn't help but drift towards the one in blue—Sailor Mercury. She looked so speechless and oddly, even hurt.

"So what's it gonna be?!" Draco demanded.

Orion slowly reached up. He pulled the broken and twisted glasses off his face and let them fall to the ground. They fell at his feet. He took a step forward and crushed the glasses under his left foot. Then his right hand flew open. A blue light appeared in the palm of his hand. It stretched out long and thin until it took the shape of a silver sword. He gave the sword a few swings and twirls, demonstrating his skill, before he moved into an attack position.

Sailor Mars was the first to attack. For the others, they still were experiencing the shock of learning the true identity of one of their classmates. Mars, however, didn't know him so she was the first one to strike. She fired a golden arrow in his direction.

With one swipe of the sword, however, he deflected the arrow with his sword. This wasn't going to be easy. The Sailors stood before three Generals of the Negaverse—Draco of Starfire, Lyra of Starbeauty, and Orion of Starskill. The two groups stared each other down for a moment, and then they charged at one another. A storm of magical attacks and energy filled the air. Water from Mercury clashed with Draco's dark fire. Jupiter's lightning attacks surged through the air towards Lyra, but the pink-haired girl was able to dodge the attack. Lyra wasn't able to dodge the kick from Sailor Venus though.

Draco and Orion were better fighters though. Draco was fierce, wild, and strong while Orion's finesse and skill proved to be too much for the Sailors. Soon, the Sailors had a collection of wounds, scrapes, and blows all over their bodies. The two groups split up to regroup for a moment.

Lyra looked up for a moment. "Woah, who's that?"

Everyone looked up to the building above.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon beamed.

"He's gorgeous!" Lyra squealed.

"Hey!" Sailor Moon snapped. "Back off!"

"What is he doing here?" Draco asked, annoyed.

Tuxedo Mask cleared his throat. "I will always be there when injustice rears its ugly head. I will fight for freedom and love in this unjust world."

"Lame!" Lyra exclaimed.

"What?" Tuxedo Mask looked stunned. He looked away. "I worked on that line for weeks!" He said to himself, bitterly.

"Why don't you worry about _this_, pretty boy?" Draco said, sending a fireball towards the masked man.

Tuxedo Mask had to leap off the building in order to dodge the attack. Soon, he landed on the ground next to the Sailors. He wasn't happy about being attacked. He held up his cane, ready to strike. Draco opened his palm to form the fiery axes. The two charged at each other and entered into a duel. The fray started again immediately after as fights broke out between the Sailors and the other two Generals.

The cane was no match for the axe. One of Draco's fiery axes melted right through Tuxedo Mask's cane, and came slicing down across Tuxedo Mask's chest. Luckily, Tuxedo Mask managed to pull back enough so that the axe only slashed through his shirt.

Lyra got a little too distracted by the sight of sight of Tuxedo Mask's bare chest and abs that she didn't notice the swift kick to the face that was coming her way. Sailor Moon grinned triumphantly as she sent Lyra flying across the parking lot. That's what that pink-haired hussy would get for staring down _her_ boyfriend.

Mercury dreaded this moment—the moment where their eyes met. Orion and Sailor Mercury locked eyes in the parking lot in the middle of the battle. They had to fight each other. He raised his sword into a defensive position while she held out her hands, ready to call upon one of her water attacks. Neither of them moved to attack.

A fireball came her way. Sailor Mercury tried to leap out of the way, but the fireball was too fast. It slammed into her shoulder and sent her flat on her back to the pavement. She hit her head hard, and it swirled instantly into one big headache.

Lyra picked herself up off the ground. She managed to notice what the others didn't—another cute guy. "This day keeps getting better and better!" She exclaimed, ironically happily.

That caught the attention of the others. Another Tuxedo warrior stood off in the distance. He approached the fight while drawing the katana from his side.

Draco's face instant morphed from playful to agitated. If there was anyone who could challenge him…No! He was a master warrior! He could defeat anyone or anything!

"Hmmm," Lyra pondered as she rejoined her comrades. "It's an age old question," She said thoughtfully.

"What is that?" Orion asked, seeing the gears actually turning in Lyra's head.

"Blonde," She motioned to Tuxedo Samurai. "or dark?" She then pointed to Tuxedo Mask. "Blonde and beautiful or tall, dark, and handsome?"

Orion only closed his eyes and groaned to himself.

"What do we do?" Lyra asked, her realization of the situation becoming a bit more aware.

"We'll have to retreat for now," Orion said.

"No!" Draco hissed. "I want a piece of this guy!"

"Draco, no," Lyra said. "I saw that nasty cut that guy gave you!"

"Yeah, and I'm not going to let him get away with it!" Draco charged forward with his flaming axes towards the Tuxedoed warrior.

Orion quickly latched onto Lyra's arm. "We're getting out of here!" He forced them to teleport away from the area. They were gone in seconds.

Axes clashed against the katana. The two were instantly absorbed in a duel while the others looked on helplessly. When it came to skill with a weapon, Draco was hopelessly outclassed. The General of Starfire always relied on his strength and frenzy to overwhelm an opponent, but it was not working with this guy. Tuxedo Samurai was just too skilled with a blade. Soon, Draco's arm received a slash, causing the magical axe to disappear.

Draco leapt back and immediately grabbed ahold of the wound across his arm. It was bleeding a steady stream of red blood. Before he disappeared, he gave one last raging look in Tuxedo Samurai's direction.

The Generals were gone. Everyone instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Tuxedo Samurai stood up straight from his attack pose and sheathed his sword.

It was quiet for a while until Sailor Mars broke the silence. "There are three of them now?"

Venus sighed. "It seems so."

"Who was that guy?" Mars asked.

Mercury closed her eyes. Why did she feel sick? "He was one of our classmates."

"What?" Mars asked, looking over at Mercury.

Sailor Jupiter looked over at Sailor Mercury, noting the girl's countenance. She answered for her friend, instead. "He was masquerading as a student at our school, but now we know what he really is—a Negaverse General."

"We thought he was our friend," Sailor Venus said bitterly. "But now he's our enemy."

"Do you think his name was really Orion? Or was that all a lie?" Sailor Moon asked, saddened also. Nobody knew the answer to that.

Seeing that the battle was over, Tuxedo Samurai began to quietly walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tuxedo Mask crossed his arms over his chest.

The other tuxedoed man turned towards Tuxedo Mask. He didn't say anything, but it was clear by the look on his face that he was puzzled.

"How do we know if you're friend or foe either?"

"Darien!" Sailor Moon hissed. "He saved Sailor Mars' life! And mine! He's helped us! Many times!"

"But we still don't know who he is!" Tuxedo Mask said. "How do we know that he won't turn on us in the future as well?"

"I mean none of you any harm," Tuxedo Samurai spoke up.

"What is your purpose then?" Tuxedo Mask still wasn't satisfied. "And why do you keep dodging questions?"

Sailor Mars stepped forward, putting herself in front of Tuxedo Samurai like a shield of sorts. "Darien, please, I know things seem really confusing and strange, but we can trust him."

"How do you know that?"

She glanced back at Tuxedo Samurai for a moment. "I just…do…"

The masked man gave her a faint smile before he stepped forward. He reached out for a brief moment gently taking one of the hands that rested at Sailor Mars' side. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze then continued to walk away past everyone.

Once he was gone, it was safe to transform back into civilian attire. They all did so. Darien still looked sullen and grumpy though.

"So," Mina broke the tension. "Is Tuxedo Samurai your boyfriend, Raye?"

"What?" Raye flushed about five shades of red in an instant. "No…I mean, I don't even know who he is or anything. I just think…I just think we can trust him. He wants to help us."

Mina laughed at the reaction she elicited. "I'm just messing around! Geeze, Raye!"

"Let's get out of here before the police show up," Serena said, wisely. "Maybe we can get a donut or something?"

Raye rolled her eyes. "You're still thinking about donuts?"

"Always," Serena took ahold of her boyfriend's hand and led the group away from the parking lot. "I know a great new café."

"Yeah, that sounds good. Let's go," Lita looked over at her quiet blue-haired friend and locked arms with the girl. Ami welcomed the friendly embrace and walked away with her friends.


	12. Cold Water

**Episode Twelve**

**Cold Water**

Cold water trickled down the cliffs of dark ice that reached up high into the darkness of the cave. Beryl's palace in the Negaverse was full of dark, cold caves that were so expansive and remote that it would be quite feasible for someone to get lost in them.

He, however, was not lost—at least geographically. He stood before a small waterfall reaching out his hands to the ice cold water. Once his cupped hands were full, he splashed the water on himself and rubbed his bare skin. Bathing was not a common thing among Negaverse creatures, but he was determined, even after all these years, to retain some sort of higher functioning—he was not an animal.

Orion fought back the memories. The first twelve years of his life in the Negaverse were nothing more than being locked up like an animal and being forced into slavery along with the rest of his people. Most had died during the invasion. There was no warning—no chance to defend themselves. The unlucky few that survived the invasion were hunted down and forced into servitude. Even more died under the iron fist of the Negaverse.

Perhaps he was lucky. He survived the invasion and twelve years of slavery, and then he even managed to rise to a place of prominence in the Negaverse. He brought another handful of water to his face. As he splashed the water over himself, horrible images flashed before his eyes. There was water all around him—everywhere, and bodies—floating bodies. Their faces were still, lifeless, but oddly serene. Orion quickly opened his hands and released the water so that it splashed on his bare feet. He furiously blinked his eyes, trying to get over the shock.

Damn. Even after a thousand years, those images still haunted him. Even after a thousand years, being around water brought back those memories.

* * *

Class was different. The Sensei lectured on about the Spanish Inquisition, and the students quietly took notes. By now, a certain student would have caused a disruption with his personal opinions, but today, there was nothing but an empty seat.

It was hard not to notice it even if she wasn't intentionally looking at it. The desk a few seats ahead and one row to the left was empty. That's always where Orion sat, and nobody dared to sit in his seat in case he might show up. Ami knew better though—he wasn't coming back.

She sighed. How could she be so oblivious? She scolded herself for such mistakes. She went to school with the guy for weeks, but he still managed to catch her by surprise. The student known as Orion Nakamura was really a Negaverse General—a sworn enemy of the Sailor Scouts. Well, at least that explained why he was so difficult to get along with at school. Ami frowned. There were rare times—times when he was actually pleasant. Was that all a lie? Was everything just a lie? Yes, yes, it was. That thought made her sick to her stomach. It was moments like this—seeing that someone was only kind to achieve their purposes—that made the world feel cold and heartless.

Ami turned her attention back to the Sensei. It didn't matter anymore. Orion Nakamura was not a real person, and it wasn't like he was a nice person anyway. Despite all her rationalization, she still felt sick inside.

* * *

She always looked displeased in these last few months. There had been painfully little progress in finding the Moon Prince or understanding how the future would unravel. Pluto's staff had only one time shown her a glimpse of the future. All it did now was show her memories of a past life. They provided much less information. All attempts to find the Moon Prince from her Generals were failures. She poised her lips into a tight scowl before speaking to the four failures that kneeled before her throne.

"My patience is growing thin," was all she could manage to say, lest she blow up into a fit of rage. "I want the Moon Prince, and you haven't brought him to me!" She first looked at Draco. "I have been watching your attempts at finding him! Futile and pathetic! I do not tolerate failure!"

In typical Draco fashion, he stood up and immediately pointed his finger towards Orion. "At least I am trying to find him! Orion has done nothing! I found him standing on the roof just watching as Lyra was below fighting with the Sailors!"

Orion closed his eyes and sighed.

Draco continued however, "Orion has done nothing to help! It's Lyra and I who've been doing all the work!"

The Queen looked towards Orion. She looked even more displeased.

He knew he had to give an explanation to pacify the situation so he spoke up. "I can assure you that while my methods are different than Draco's or Lyra's, I am no less dedicated to the cause of finding the Moon Prince." Orion paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Up until Draco's little stunt forcing me to reveal my identity, I had successfully infiltrated a local school, having access to hundreds of students that I could study and observe to see if any one of them was the Moon Prince. Due to Draco's actions however, I have lost that opportunity."

Beryl turned back to Draco, now displeased with him. She clearly bought Orion's story. She went off and scolded the Starfire General for such stupidity since that could have been a valuable resource to the cause.

As the Queen continued to yell at Draco, Orion's thoughts wandered elsewhere. He said what he needed to say to keep Queen Beryl pleased, but there was so much more to the story than that. There were many things he learned that could have been useful to the cause. He knew the Sailors' civilian identities. He felt their auras while at school, then by following them, he had his suspicions confirmed when he saw them transform. Why couldn't he bring himself to tell her that? Sure, he was playing this game by his own rules, but making Beryl happy would get him one step closer to his dream—freedom.

As much power as he held, he was not free. He was not free since the day the Negaverse invaded his planet and slaughtered his people. Despite rising to power within this realm, he still was not a free man. They controlled him, and he knew it. If he wanted to be free without any horrible consequences, he would have to serve Beryl. If he wanted to be free, he would have to bring her the Moon Prince.

His attention was pulled back into the conversation in the courtroom when he heard his name. The Queen was finished scolding Draco and now calling for all of them to work together as a team. As always, he nodded his head in agreement but had little intention of following those orders. This time however, she looked straight at him and specifically commanded him to partner with Draco on his next attack. He nodded his head and verbally acknowledged her request with a "Yes, your Majesty."

She waved her hand, dismissing them. The four of them disappeared to the four corners of the Negaverse palace, but the Queen remained in the throne room for a moment longer. She slowly arose from her dark crystal throne and retired to her private chambers behind the throne room. In was in one of her private chambers that she kept Sailor Pluto's staff and the focusing crystals needed to view events in the time spectrum. She immediately went to the staff and placed her hands over the garnet in the center to begin the process.

She would find the answers that she desired, even if it took staring into that orb for years.

* * *

The stands were empty save for one man. Instead of paying any attention to the practice below, the man sat on the hard metal seat while whittling a stick he found with a small bowie knife. He had nothing better to do than wait. He glanced up for a moment, looking at the baseball team on the field. He didn't know much about the game, but they seemed confident in their moments and they radiated arrogance through their words and actions—that was something he could relate to. He absolutely knew the power he had over these mortals—just one small snap to the neck would do it. Before he realized it, the stick was snapped into two pieces. He tossed the stick pieces aside while continuing to keep his eyes on the humans below. They were weak—pathetic even.

Nobody was paying attention to the deserted stands of the baseball field. Orion appeared out of thin air next to his comrade in arms. The man with purple hair looked less than thrilled about being there, but he was civil. "I've scouted the area. There shouldn't be any problems. I would suggest waiting until he walks home though."

Draco was quiet. He only stared down at his intended target on the field—the left-fielder and powerhouse hitter of the team.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Draco turned sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Orion rolled his eyes and looked towards the players. "You know what the consequences are if we engage a target. We'll likely draw unwanted attention from the Sailor Scouts."

"There's where you're wrong!" Draco stood up and sheathed his small knife on a holster tied to his leg. "I want them to come! I'll be ready for them!"

"And are you ready for Tuxedo Samurai as well?" Orion smirked as the words rolled off his lips. Even he could find pleasure in a verbal jab every once in a while.

The words had their effect. "If _you'd_ be doing a little less _talking_ and a little more _fighting, _maybe we wouldn't have so many problems with the Sailor Scouts!"

Orion stood with only an amused expression on his face which only served to make Draco even angrier.

"Queen Beryl commanded you! You're supposed to be fighting—not cowering in some little corner writing in that stupid notebook of yours!" The little notebook was in Orion's shirt pocket. "What's in that thing anyway?" Draco quickly reached out for it, but Orion's hand came up and caught Draco's wrist.

"That's none of your damn business!" Orion gave Draco's wrist a sharp twist.

The Starfire General refused to let out a scream of pain. Instead, he gritted his teeth and let his powers of searing fire heat up his skin. Soon, Orion released him.

Draco stood rubbing his wrist while he stared the General of Starskill down. The complexity of Orion's behavior certainly overwhelmed him. Why did Orion act so strangely all the time? Why was he so secretive and unwilling to participate? In a way, they were all after the same thing—they wanted to please Beryl because pleasing Beryl meant gaining power. He glanced over at the field for a moment forgetting those confusing thoughts.

The players below were unaware of their activities. If he was going to keep it that way, he couldn't retaliate. Draco released his balled fists and dropped his tense shoulders.

Orion was already on to other things. He stood a step forward towards the field. "They're moving. Get yourself ready."

Draco followed with a grumpy look on his face. Perhaps the thing he hated the most, besides backing down from a fight, was being told what to do—especially from Orion.

* * *

"What a lovely afternoon," Serena exclaimed as she walked hand in hand with her boyfriend through the park.

Darien nodded and made some sound of agreement. Rarely, did he have peaceful moments like this anymore due to his new career.

"The sun is shining! The birds are chirping! The…" Serena stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Darien looked around for the source of concern. There was nothing but children playing, a cool breeze, and the usual bit at the park. "Serena?"

Serena sniffed the air then paused.

"What is it?" Darien took a deep breath, but he didn't smell anything.

"Cotton candy," Serena said. "I want some." She clasped his hand and marched forward towards the source of the smell. Sure enough, just further down the sidewalk around a bend was a cotton candy vendor selling pillowy blue and pink swirls of sugary goodness. She dug around in her small purse, but all the coins she thought were sitting at the bottom seemed to be eluding her. It took a few minutes of digging through her bag for her to remember that she spent those coins yesterday at the arcade. She whipped up a big smile and turned around towards her boyfriend.

Darien stood waiting while holding up a few yen for Serena to take. She grinned appreciatively and happily turned back towards the stall vendor. A few seconds later, the girl walked away with a large puff of pink and blue on a paper cone. She happily took a large bite out of the side, feeling the sugar melt in her mouth.

"You know that's nothing but pure sugar and simple carbohydrates, right?" Darien said.

"Do you want some?" Serena held up the stick to him.

"Yeah," He said. He reached out and pulled a large chuck out of the pink side. He sighed as the tasty sugar melted on his tongue.

They continued to walk as they ate the treat in silence. As she finished off the remaining touches of her snack, she couldn't help but take a few peaks at her boyfriend. Sure, they had been together for a really long time, but that didn't mean that the butterflies in her stomach weren't there anymore. There were just moments—like this one—where she couldn't believe it was all true. It all just seemed like a dream—a very wonderful dream that would be a nightmare to wake up from. Shivers when down her spine as Darien reclaimed the hand at her side. He was real.

He looked over, noticing her gaze. She turned away, slightly blushing, as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He, however, did not look away. How could he? Not when her golden hair and soft face looked so beautiful in the afternoon sun.

She glanced back up. She knew that look on his face—the one where his mind was processing a thousand thoughts at once. Darien was like that—always thinking, always remembering.

He was thinking—thinking about their history together. From the first time he met her until now, all those memories circled through his mind and filled his heart. He leaned in closer.

She closed her eyes. Soon, she could feel his warm breath.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Serena groaned while digging through her purse and pockets for her communicator. "I can't believe something is going on at a time like this…"

"What's wrong," Darien asked, helplessly.

"It's been forever since I've been out on a date, and god knows it's been forever since I've been kissed…" She mumbled under her breath.

Darien blushed. A lot of that was his fault. He had been so busy with work.

Finally, Serena found the communicator. She smashed the power button, and Luna's picture popped up on the little screen. "What is it, Luna?"

"Serena, we've got trouble!" Serena's tone changed. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"Strange energy has been detected by the computer at HQ!" The black cat explained.

Darien turned his eyes away from the screen and exchanged worried glances with Serena. "I'll bet you anything that it's those Generals."

Serena nodded in agreement. "We have to stop them. Where are they, Luna?"

"The computer shows that you're not very far from the location of the disturbance. I'll update the location on your map."

"Right," Serena nodded. The transmission went out. Serena immediately looked around for a deserted place. There didn't seem to be any close to their location.

"There!" Darien pointed towards the woods. She nodded, and they took off to find a safe place to transform.

* * *

Draco held the milky white crystal in his hand as light shot out from it. The victim had already passed out due to the fear of something like that happening to him. His heart raced a mile a minute. Could this boy be the one? Perhaps more than ever he needed it to be so.

He closed his eyes—hoping.

"MOON TIARA ACTION!"

A golden tiara struck Draco across the hand, creating a long thin scratch across the back of his hand. The crystal tumbled out of his hands, light still pouring out of it, onto the ground. Soon, the light died down.

Draco instantly sent his hands ablaze. His eyes scanned the area, looking for the source of the tiara. Standing within the trees, he saw Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask ready to confront him. "You're going to wish you never showed your faces here today," Draco growled.

"Wherever there is a breach in peace or justice, we will be there," Tuxedo Mask said. "Parks are a place of fun and recreation…"

"And dates!" Sailor Moon added angrily.

"…but you have turned it into something twisted and perverted…" Tuxedo Mask's speech was interrupted by a fiery axe flying in his direction. He pulled his head back just in time to see the axe twirl by his face and embed itself into the tree he leaned against.

Sailor Moon gasped then turned sharply towards Draco. "You are going to pay for that!" She looked back to Tuxedo Mask. "Right, Tuxedo Mask?"

"Right," He nodded, clutching his cane.

Orion appeared out of thin air next to Draco. He looked calm and collected, but he was ready to fight with the silver sword in his hand. Draco looked to his right, acknowledging Orion's presence, then turned his attention back to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. The numbers were even, but the odds were not.

Tuxedo Mask was first to strike. He leapt out of the small grove of trees and slammed his cane down towards Draco. The General of Starfire was quick to dodge, but Tuxedo Mask was quick to attack again. The fight was on!

Sailor Moon planted her red boots firmly into the ground and prepared herself for battle. She let the power in her fingers rise higher into the palm of her hand. She then began to form an attack. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"

She wasn't surprised when General Orion managed to fend off the attack. The Generals were strong—she knew that—but she wasn't going to give up on defending the Earth—even if it meant her life. She was about to charge in for hand to hand combat when she heard the strong voice of one of her companions.

"WORLD SHAKING!"

Orion held out his sword as he ducked down into a couching position. The sharp silver sword slashed through the ball of energy, neutralizing it. After the light of the attack faded, he rose back up into a standing position.

"Sailor Uranus! Neptune!" Sailor Moon gasped. She gasped even more at the sight of the smallest soldier with them. "Saturn!"

Three warriors stood on the other side of the battlefield. The two Generals were surrounded, but they did not seem to care. Neptune was calm and serene, but Uranus stood with a bemused expression on her face. Her attack was deflected—this could prove quite interesting. Sailor Saturn stood, holding her naginata that was much too big for her at the moment.

"Who are they?" Draco spat, looking around at all the competition.

Orion only glanced back for a moment. "Other Sailor Scouts—the outer ones by the looks of it."

"Gods, how many are there?" Draco balked. "And they all look alike! How am I supposed to find Sailor Mars with so many of them running around?"

"Find Sailor Mars?" Sailor Moon looked confused.

"You can find me right here!" A flaming golden arrow shot straight towards Draco's head.

The Sailors' gasped. Sailor Mars' aim was impeccable, and this time was no different. That arrow was heading straight for Draco's eye, but before it could find its intended target, Draco reached up.

He caught the arrow. The point was millimeters from his eye. Soon, the arrow snapped within his clutching fist. He turned his head in the direction from which the arrow came. Standing in a tree was Sailor Mars clutching onto her golden bow and looking absolutely stunned.

They were thrown right back into battle with an attack that came from Sailor Jupiter. She mustered an attack of surging lightning and hurled it towards the two Generals. They both had to leap out of the way, one to the left and one to the right. She accomplished what she set out to do—splitting them up.

Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Mars went after Orion while Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Tuxedo Mask encircled Draco. While the Generals possessed incredible powers and abilities, they were not able to fair well against multiple powerful individuals like the Sailor Scouts. Draco was violent and raging, but he couldn't defend his back at all times. When he would flail his fiery palms at one Sailor, another would launch an attack straight at him.

Orion faired a little better. He was a tactician, but a situation like this provided him little time to think. It took all his strength just to keep dodging their attacks, but for how long could he keep something like that up? He had to do something if they were going to escape this situation alive.

Sailor Venus snapped her whip of hearts from her _VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN. _The very tip of the whip snapped against Draco's cheek, creating a fine cut—so fine that it took a few seconds before it started to bleed. He stopped and reached up. He pulled back his hand to see the red metallic liquid on his fingers. His eyes narrowed.

Orion held out his silver sword and closed his eyes. Soon, six other swords appeared around him like apparitions. He opened his eyes again, ready to strike. The Sailors moved in to attack, but now, seven swords were swinging and slashing through the air. It was only a matter of seconds before all of them found cuts and slashes all over their bodies.

Draco's entire body set aflame. Soon, he looked like nothing but flames in the shape of a humanoid. The Sailors attacked, but they found themselves instantly repelled by the intense heat and searing flames.

The Generals then went on the offensive. Crippling blows soon came in the form of fire attacks, sword slashes, punches, and kicks. The tide of victory turned so quickly. Very soon, all of them were put out of commission by one of the attacks.

Once they saw they had the upper hair, Draco and Orion both calmed their attacks. Sailor Uranus, however, fought to stand even with a throbbing knee. The tip of Orion's blade came to her throat though.

"Don't move," He ordered.

Uranus was not the kind to take too kindly to orders—even at the end of a blade. She merely wrinkled her nose and continued to stand up. Orion slashed his sword, aiming lower towards her leg. She cried out in pain. The fresh gash across her upper leg collapsed her attempt to stand, and she felt right back to the ground. Orion's blade found her throat a second time.

"Leave her alone!"

Orion looked away from Sailor Uranus. Sailor Mercury stood, wobbly legged, holding her left shoulder. The way her leg drooped, he could tell that her arm was pulled out of its socket. She had a black eye and a bloodied lip, but it didn't stop her from challenging him. She always was an interesting one.

"You're not in any position to be making demands," Orion said, softly.

"I'm not going to just stand here while you hurt my friends," She said, just as softly.

He stood pondering for a moment. It was like a flashback to the time she challenged him in their chemistry laboratory. Now, just as there was then, a sort of fierceness in her eyes despite the fact he could tell that she was trembling. She trembled then too, he remembered. Why was she going to all these lengths just to protect—no, she couldn't even protect them. One move, one surge forward, one slice of his blade—that's all it would take. He envisioned it: moving forward, bringing the blade upwards, and silver tearing through her skin meeting with red blood. That's what he was supposed to do, but all he could see was her blue eyes.

Draco's voice interrupted their thoughts. He glanced through all the Sailors until he found Sailor Mars in a heap close to him. He quickly reached down and grasped a handful of her hair. He pulled her up by the hair causing her to scream. Sailor Mercury immediately ran towards her friend, but was instantly repelled by a firewall that Draco created. "Is this the one she wants?"

Orion looked away from Sailor Mercury writhing in pain on the ground towards Draco and Sailor Mars. "Yes, that's the one she wants," he said, distracted.

"Good," Draco grinned. "The Queen will get her then."

"No such thing will happen."

Draco didn't want to turn around. He stood for a moment, feeling dread well up inside. "Not now," He sighed just above a whisper. He released his tight grasp on Sailor Mars' hair, causing her to collapse to the ground. He then turned around, already furious.

The masked warrior stood ready for confrontation. His sword was already drawn and waiting to strike an opponent. He stood in an open stance with his katana glimmering in the late afternoon sun.

Draco ignited his palms and formed his axes. He charged towards Tuxedo Samurai in a blind rage, ignoring everyone else around them. The masked warrior raised his katana in defense. Orion raised his sword as well and leapt forward to attack.

"He's mine!" Draco spat, blocking Orion from entering the fight.

The Starskill General lowered his sword and respected Draco's wish, despite not understanding it. However, he had to contend with eight sailors and another tuxedo waiting for him. He surveyed his surroundings and gritted his teeth—this wasn't going to be easy.

"I'll kill you!" Draco angrily brandished his two axes towards Tuxedo Samurai, but the warrior confidently blocked the attacks that came his way.

"Not with those sloppy attacks," The masked man said.

It only served to infuriate Draco more. He increased the intensity of his attacks, but soon, Draco tired himself out, and Tuxedo Samurai went on the offensive. Draco clumsily defended the first few strikes, but fatigued, he could not raise his weapons one more time. The blade of the katana ran straight across his chest just under his collarbones. Before he knew it, Tuxedo Samurai took two more swipes—one on each of his arms, causing the fiery axes to disappear. Draco fell to his knees.

Tuxedo Samurai held out his blade to Draco's neck.

Draco glanced to his side. Orion wasn't faring well in his battle either. He watched as Sailor Neptune's attack struck Orion in the back while Sailor Jupiter's lightning electrified the water based attack. Draco looked up at Tuxedo Samurai. The masked man's attention was a bit distracted. Quickly, he scooped up a handful of dirt and threw it up in Tuxedo Samurai's face. Before anyone could stop him, Draco disappeared, leaving Orion behind.

Quickly, Tuxedo Samurai and the others gained their bearings. They surrounded Orion in a circle and readied themselves. If they worked together, this could be the best chance to take out one of the Generals. He was severely outnumbered and tired. They were tired and wounded too, but together, they could succeed.

Orion looked all around him. He was completely surrounded with no way out. He gripped onto his sword with both hands and dug his feet into the soft earth. Perhaps if he was lucky and one of them was careless, he could find a way out.

Sailor Uranus and Jupiter were eager to begin the attack. They both called upon their elemental powers. He leapt to the side twice, once for each attack, but soon three golden arrows came his way. He nearly lost his balance from that, but a VENUS CRESCENT HEART BEAM came sailing at him. It completely broadsided him and sent him flying. He didn't stop when landing on the hard ground. The force of the attack shoved him further, tearing up the grass and dirt. Rocks cut into his skin and damp earth clung to his skin.

Sailor Venus smirked triumphantly.

"Get him, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask called.

The Princess nodded. "MOON HEALING ESCALATION!" She called upon her powers of light, goodness, and healing to finish off the evil General before them. As he tried to rise out of the dirt, he was enveloped in the bright warm light.

It was so bright, almost too bright to look. The Sailors shielded their eyes for a moment until the light died down. They gasped.

He was still there, struggling to stand. He struggled finally to his feet using his sword as a crutch. After a few moments, he regained his composure. "You will not take me alive!" He hollered at them. Those words had more weight than they could ever know. He ended up a Negaverse slave when his planet was conquered. He would not end up as their slave.

Clearly, Sailor Uranus was still nursing the bruise to her ego because she began another attack. She threw all of her heart and soul into the next attack and called upon the power of the skies. "WORLD SHAKING!" She cried, raising her arm up to the heavens. She sent the attack straight at the General.

It hit him, just as she wanted it to. It bore into his chest and carried him off further away. It sent him flying through the air many meters away. The Sailors had to run after him and the attack to keep up with what was happening. Finally, the attack started to loose energy. It carried him over the lake in the park and dipped down into the water, sending him along with it.

Sailor Neptune added another attack to the fray. "NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!" She shot the attack into the water. The calm and peaceful lake suddenly swirled and churned into a whirlpool. The turbulent waves caused by mixing energies splashed wildly against the rocks. Flashes of blue and yellow ripped through the water for a few moments until things became very calm. Soon, the water returned back to normal.

They waited. And waited. There was nothing.

"Where is he?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

"Is this some kind of trick?" Sailor Venus asked. She looked around frantically. Orion wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Mercury, Neptune, maybe you should go in there?" Sailor Mars suggested. "See if he's still alive?"

Neptune nodded in agreement. That was the last thing Sailor Mercury wanted to do, but everyone was looking at her. She snapped out of her daze and headed towards the water behind Sailor Neptune. They both slowly waded into the water.

Fear—the water was filled with fear. That was the first thing she noticed when she stepped into it. It radiated fear, and it was cold—ice cold. When she was waist high, she dived down into the water. Immediately, her visor came up around her eyes, helping her to see more clearly. As if she really needed it. Ever since she could remember, her senses were profoundly enhanced when she was in the water. It was as if she had Raye's sixth sense, but for her, it only worked in the water.

* * *

It was cold—so cold. And their bodies—their bodies floated before him. Their faces were full and puffy and disturbingly peaceful. They floated lifelessly before him. His mother was in the middle and her two daughters at each side—his sisters. He never knew what happened to his father, but his mothers and sisters, he knew. They met their end in cold watery graves right before his eyes.

The first attack from the Negaverse—a large ball of dark energy—plunged into their ocean. The tsunami that followed was devastating. There was no warning, no way to get to safety. They lived in a little white house by the sea. Its concrete-like walls were barely strong enough, but its windows were certainly not. The house filled with water almost instantly. There was no escape.

The image that haunted him was their dead bodies floating peacefully in the water. He saw them in that moment—drowning. He saw them every day for the past thousand years—why should now be any different? They were floating in front of him as if it was happening all over again. He wanted to scream, but there was no screaming in water. There was no more air. There was no more life. His eyes started to droop. This was it. The darkness was about to take him.

The apparitions before him swirled away. Breaking through the images of death, as the darkness enclosed him, the Sailor with blue hair swam before him. As his arms went limp with defeat, he felt her hand clasp his. She tugged on him, hard, pulling him back into reality. As he came up, she wrapped her arms around him and used her powers to shoot them upward. They rushed forward towards the surface. They shot up out of the water and continued through the air for a few meters before they came crashing hard onto the ground, entwined in each other's arms.

Air—he took his first gasp of air and panicked. His gasps were frantic, painful, and short. As hard and hard as he tried, he could not get a steady breath. Sailor Mercury quickly backed away from him. He was violently trembling, shaking, and even sobbing. Quickly, the other Sailors gathered around.

Sailor Moon put her hand on Mercury to see if she was alright. Mercury didn't pay much attention to the hand. Her attention was still on the General who seemed to be having some kind of seizure on the ground.

"What's the matter with him?" Sailor Venus finally broke the silence.

"Now's our chance!" Jupiter stepped forward.

Sailor Mercury immediately held out her arm, blocking Sailor Jupiter from moving forward. "No, you can't!"

Jupiter looked absolutely flabbergasted. "Sailor Mercury?"

Mercury motioned her hand towards the General who still lay on the ground shaking, moaning, and sobbing. "He's having a panic attack! You can't!"

"Do you think he'd extend such mercy to you?" Sailor Uranus spat with her fist raised. "People like him would be the first to slit your throat if he had the chance!"

"That is exactly why we are not like them!" Sailor Mercury almost welled up into tears. "We have the ability to show mercy to our enemies!"

"And you call yourself a Sailor!" Uranus argued. "You swore an oath to do your duty—no matter how difficult or painful…"

"No," Sailor Moon interjected, stepping between Sailor Mercury and Sailor Uranus. "She's right."

Everyone turned his or her attention back to the General. He was starting to gain enough of his senses. He continued to gasp wildly for air, but he managed to gain enough control of himself to evaporate out of thin air and disappear from their midst.

Uranus immediately turned her back, cursed, and kicked a rock back into the pond.

There was silence for a long time until Sailor Mars came forward and replaced her hand on Mercury's shoulder. "What was wrong with him?"

Sailor Mercury continued to stare down at the place where the General once was. "I think he has aquaphobia," was all she could say.

"Aquaphobia?" Sailor Venus asked. "He's afraid of water?"

"It would appear so," Sailor Neptune placed her hand under her chin. "I've never seen anyone behave like that."

"Well," Sailor Jupiter said. "I remember in middle school this kid that got shoved into one of the classroom closets by the school bully…"

"Weren't you the school bully in middle school?" Sailor Venus asked.

"No, Freddy did that one—not me." She clarified before finishing her story. "When the teachers pulled him out of there, he had a similar reaction."

The afternoon sun was sinking fast in the sky. Sailor Mars turned to find Tuxedo Samurai. He already was long gone. She sighed, looking off into the distance. Instinctively, her arms came up and wrapped themselves around her. She turned back to her friends. "We should probably get going. We've caused a lot of damage here today."

Everyone surveyed the battlefield—they most certainly did. They bid each other good bye and split off towards their separate ways.


	13. Sailor Mercury Kidnapped!

**Episode Thirteen**

**Sailor Mercury Kidnapped!**

He wasn't the type to get emotionally involved, but punching Draco seemed like a really good idea right then. The two of them stood before Beryl's dark throne listening to her scolding them for their failures. Orion didn't even bother paying attention to what she had to say or what blubbering excuses were pouring out of Draco's mouth. All he could think about was what happened to him after Draco abandoned him. The water was all around him, surrounding him like a tomb. The faces of his family were haunting him even up to the end. And then, she came. She broke through death and brought him back to the light. Why? Why did she save him?

Beryl dismissed them. Before he knew it, Lyra appeared before him and Draco with a bouncy excitement in her step. "We're going to be partners!" She exclaimed.

Orion blinked. He must have really tuned out. "Come again?"

"You!" She put her hand on Orion's arm. He scowled. "Me! And Draco!" She put her other hand on Draco. "We're going to be a team!"

Orion glanced back and forth between Draco and Lyra. It must have been true. Draco looked less than thrilled about it. Orion forced himself not to grimace. He would have to start showing the Queen some results if he wanted her to stay off his back. He looked then to Lyra. "Alright, you choose a target, and I'll do what I can to come up with a strategy."

"That's wonderful!" She batted those long lashes at him. "You're so smart, Orion! We'll succeed for sure this time!"

Draco looked like he smelled something nasty.

"Don't count on it," Orion said. "We have a daunting task ahead of us."

"Oh," Lyra pouted her full lips. "Don't be such a downer!"

Orion only walked away.

* * *

He was kneeling before the sacred fire. His eyes had been closed for who knows how long, tightly shut, trying to block out the world. Beads of sweat poured down his forehead as the flames flickered hotter and brighter.

Usually, meditation calmed him down, but today, it did not. Finally, he sighed and gave up. He opened his eyes. The world came back into view. He was alone in the meditation room at the Hikawa Shrine. It was quiet and peaceful, but his thoughts and feelings were not.

It kept happening. The blackouts, that is. They were becoming much more frequent. He would remember being in one place, but then wake up in another with no explanation as to how he got there. So far, he was managing to keep it a secret from the world, but what if something happened at the wrong time?

His hands came up and rubbed his tired face. And what was happening during those times he couldn't remember? Where was he going? What was he doing? One time, he even woke up covered in blood. That did not bode well. He instinctively reached down to his stomach, the place where he was wounded. The cut healed perfect as if had never happened. The truly alarming thing, however, was how fast it seemed to heal. He always had been a fast healer. As a child, if he had hurt himself, he would heal quickly, but nothing that elicited more than a bemused smirk from a doctor and Master Ichiro. This was different. This was not normal.

Meditation was not helping him clear his thoughts. He stood up and headed towards the door. Just before he reached out to slide open the shoji door, it slid open on its own. Suddenly, Raye appeared on the other side of the door.

"Oh, Akira," She said, surprised. "What are you doing here?" She cocked her head to the side. The room wasn't off limits by any means; it was just that she was usually the only one who went in there. The sacred fire was at full flame. She studied Akira for a moment. "Are you alright?"

He stood there for a moment. He wasn't going to fool her. He didn't need a mirror to know that he looked terrible. But how would he tell her something like that? How could he tell anyone something like that?

She stepped back, letting him out of the room. He came out. Instead of going into the room, she closed the door and remained outside with him on the deck. The night air was crisp and chilly, but the sky was clear and beautiful. She turned to him, giving him a look that meant she wanted an explanation for his appearance.

"I'm a bit stressed," He said.

Those violet eyes looked straight up into his. "About what?" She knew she was being just as nosy as he was when she was having problems.

He knew it too and faintly laughed. He turned to the night sky. "Some of the same things as you." Well, that was sort of true. He was stressed about school—well, more like if he'd blackout during school or not wake up from a blackout in time and miss school.

She turned her attention to the sky as well. "I guess we're just two stressed people."

He nodded. "Yes, we are, Princess."

"Well, you know what we should do about it?"

He looked at her. She was still staring off into the sky. "What?"

"Just ignore it." She was grinning. "Let's just stop caring."

A bemused smirk crept across his face. "I suppose you're right."

"Yes," She said with an airy sigh. "I'm always right." She sharply turned on her heel and began to walk away, hair flipping in the wind.

He cocked his head to the side as he watched her walk away, but she stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"See you later." She continued on her way.

He stood dumbfounded for a moment, then smirked, shook his head, and walked away.

* * *

Serena was supposed to be doing her math homework, but instead, she was reading a manga comic book. Some things never changed. Even in her last year of high school, Serena still found Space Ninja Rangers more interesting than the homework assignment due second period the next morning.

Luna, the black guardian cat, sat on Serena's bed, grooming herself. She had seen behavior like this from Serena for years. As her duty, she would constantly remind the Princess of the importance of hard work, study, and academics, but the long years wore her down. Perhaps as every parent needs to learn, nagging would not be the way to make the best results happen. So Luna said nothing.

The door slowly creaked open. Serena quickly threw the comic book over her shoulder and snatched up her math book. Soon, a woman with dark curly blue hair peeked into the room. She smiled at the sight of her daughter with a book in her hand.

"Yes, she's right here." Ikuko Tsukino said, stepping into the room. She was on the telephone. She extended the cordless phone to Serena. "Serena, it's Mizuno-san."

"Ah, Ami," Serena rose up from the floor. She looked surprised, but thrilled none the less, about the call. "Thanks, mom." She took the phone from her mother then her mother left the room. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hello, Serena," Ami greeted her friend. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Serena said then sighed. "_Well_, I am doing homework."

Luna sounded like she was coughing up a hairball.

"Oh, sorry to bother you then," Ami began.

"No, no, no!" Serena laughed hysterically. "It's no bother at all! Please, Ami, continue!"

"Are you sure? We can speak another…"

"Ami," Serena said, seriously. "Just tell me what's going on."

The blue haired girl on the other end of the line sighed into the phone. Things had been lonely for the last week. Her mother was on a business trip—a six week field extension to Uganda. It was a wonderful opportunity and her mother would be able to vaccinate a lot of sick children, but it left Ami home alone for six whole weeks. It was only week one. "I was wondering if…that is…if you aren't too occupied with other tasks…"

"I'd love to hang out with you," Serena said, enthusiastically.

Ami breathed a big sigh of relief. "You would?"

"Of course, Ami! You're my friend."

Ami soaked in those endearing words for a few moments before speaking again. "I wish I could invite you over to my apartment to sleep over, but my mother made me promise that I wouldn't let anyone in the house while she's away."

"That's okay! We'll sleep over at Raye's!"

Ami blinked. Naturally, any normal person would have extended an invitation to his or her own house, but Serena completely volunteered someone else's house without even asking. But, that's usually how things went with their group.

A loud beeping went off in the bedroom. Serena turned towards her bed. Luna was pawing away at an electronic device. She went back to her phone conversation. "When do you think we should get together?"

"We should probably ask Raye first."

"Nah," Serena waved her hand dismissively.

"Serena!" Luna snapped.

"What?" Serena looked back at the cat, annoyed. "Can't you see I'm on the phone!"

"There's trouble downtown!"

Serena groaned.

* * *

"If we're going to do this," Orion looked at the other Generals seriously. "We've got to do it fast."

"Right," Lyra nodded.

"We've got to get in there and get out before the Sailor Scouts show up."

Draco cracked his knuckles. "We're going to have to face them sometime."

"Not when they severely outnumber us," Orion looked off into the night sky. The Tokyo skyline was beautiful. Even he couldn't deny that.

"And they're getting stronger," Lyra added.

Orion nodded in agreement. As much as he hated to admit it, the Sailors skills were improving rapidly. And of course, there was always that Tuxedo Samurai to contend with.

The three of them stood high up on top of a building overlooking a dark alley. The backdoor to one of the buildings cracked open. They nodded to one another. Lyra disappeared from their midst and reappeared below in the shadows.

Three men emerged from the building. "That was a great session tonight, man." One of them said. One promptly agreed with his friend while the third man accepted the compliments. They each split off into their own direction. The first two men went away to their cars, but the third man stayed behind. He popped a cigarette in his mouth and dug in his jacket pocket for a lighter.

"You're Mysterious D?" A sweet voice called.

He glanced up from lighting his cigarette. A beauty emerged from the alley shadows. He smirked as he twirled the lighter in his hand and shoved it back into his pocket. "That depends," He said with a wide grin. "Who wants to know?"

"Oh," She giggled, coming a bit closer. "Just your number one fan, that's all."

"My number one fan, eh?" The club DJ exhaled some smoke. "What's your favorite mix?"

She batted those long lashes and almost instantly a stupid grin washed over Mysterious D's face. She came right up to him and latched onto his arm. "Oooh, so strong," She cooed.

Up above, Draco and Orion glanced at each other, both looking like they wanted to throw up.

"Well," Mysterious D looked flattered. "I do work out in my spare time."

"Handsome, talented, and _strong_," She giggled. "What's a girl to do?"

"How about getting a drink with me?" He suggested.

"Oh," She flashed a bright smile. "I've got a better idea."

His eyes bulged.

But it wasn't what he was thinking at all. Before he realized what was happening, she placed her hand firmly on his chest. Suddenly, his entire body was paralyzed from head to toe. The wicked gleam in her eye caused his heart to frantically pound in his chest. She however looked completely unfazed by it all. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Don't worry, baby, this won't take long." She stepped away from him and pulled out her moonstone crystal. Soon, it started to glow with bright light in the palm of her hand. When it couldn't get any brighter, she held it out towards her victim. A beam of bright light shot out of the crystal and entered into the man she held captive.

He couldn't move. He couldn't scream. That was Orion's idea. It was his idea for her to use her paralyzing technique. It was taxing to use that power, but it was worth it. Having the target silent would help them stay hidden. Orion and Draco would watch from above—waiting to see if any trouble would come. Hopefully, they could get this over with without any complications.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Draco muttered over and over again.

Orion listened to Draco's ramblings but didn't bother with hopes. The chances of this guy being the Moon Prince were about…well, about as high as him and Draco becoming best friends. He only agreed to this plan to appease Beryl. He knew it was doomed from the start.

However, he did make precautions. A confrontation with the Sailor Scouts was inevitable. There were too many of them, and as Lyra said, they were growing stronger. He had a plan however. He reached into his pocket. Inside was a small orb—very cold to the touch, miserably cold. This would help them.

Just as he suspected, they came. He much as he tried to keep them from coming, he knew they would come. He prepared for battle.

"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!"

The attack went straight for Lyra, but Orion leapt down from off the building. With one slash of his silver sword, the attack from Sailor Venus dispersed into the wind.

The light from the crystal died. There was nothing. The man they attacked was not the Moon Prince. Lyra stomped her foot onto the ground and pouted her bottom lip. "It's not fair!"

"It's not fair that you would harm innocents for your own selfish gain," Sailor Mars spoke up. She quickly fired off three golden arrows.

With three graceful slashes with his sword, Orion quickly deflected all arrows that came his and Lyra's way. Lyra ran behind him, looking for protection. "Brace yourself," He said, glancing back at her. "There will be a battle."

"Right," She nodded. She remembered exactly what Orion asked her to do. She closed her eyes. Soon, the alley filled with a faint pink mist.

Sailor Moon sighed gently. The smell of fresh roses filled her nostrils. "Oh, Darien," she sighed, seeing her lover in her mind's eye. He reached his hand out to her with a beaming smile. She reached her hand out towards nothing.

"What is wrong with her?" Sailor Jupiter asked. Then she took smelled roses. Suddenly, it was like she was in the cafeteria at school. She was at a table eating her lunch and minding her own business until he walked up. It was Lee Jun Seok, that cute foreign exchange student from Korea. He wanted to try some things in her bento box. He wanted to sit with her. Oh, my goodness!

Sailor Venus looked around at her friends. They all suddenly had stupid looks on their faces. "What in the world is going on here?" She examined the scene frantically for a moment until her eyes scanned over Lyra, that pink haired General. Bingo! She was the Sailor of Love. There was no way some stupid trick like that was going to work on her. "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!"

Orion was ready to defend against the attack, but the attack was powerful, it pushed him back into Lyra, and it broke Lyra's concentration. The pink mist faded quite considerably. The Sailors snapped out of their daydreams and came back to the battle.

"Woah, what happened to me?" Sailor Jupiter felt a little foggy in the head.

"That witch was using some of her powers," Sailor Mars rubbed her forehead.

"Yeah, it was awful!" Sailor Moon put her hands on her hips.

Sailor Mars pointed her finger. "Uh, Sailor Moon, you've got a little drool on your face."

"Geeze, can't you lay off even for a moment, Mars?" Sailor Moon wiped her face quickly before anyone could see.

"Well, they're going to pay for that!" Sailor Jupiter announced.

Draco leapt off the roof. He slashed his axe through the air causing a flame to fly out towards the Sailors. Quickly, Sailor Mercury called upon an attack, "MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!" Her water shielded the Sailors from the searing heat of Draco's dark fire and neutralized the attack. Everyone thankfully arose after the attacks had dissipated.

They didn't wait. Fighting broke out immediately. Elemental attacks bounced all over the alley, lighting the place up like Christmas. The alley was tight with eight people trying to take out their enemies, but they used the terrain to their advantage. Draco kicked garbage cans at the Sailors while throwing fireballs at them as well. The Sailors would frequently run at the walls and push off with their feet to gain some air in their attacks.

Sailor Mars did just that, but a flaming garbage can came sailing her way. She cringed and closed her eyes.

The sound of metal tearing through metal was a strange one. She opened her eyes in mid-air. Tuxedo Samurai flew in the air between her and the flaming can. His katana sliced through it, eliminating the threat.

"Tuxedo Samurai," She beamed, not paying attention and then smacked right into a large blue dumpster. She landed flat on her back. Soon, the masked man towered before her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes?" She popped up quickly despite the fact that her body just ached from a blow like that. "I'm fine. Good. Great, even."

Satisfied, he turned his attention towards the Generals. They had regrouped at the other end of the alley. Again, Lyra knew what she had to do. So did Draco, even if he never consented to Orion's plan in the first place. The two of them stepped forward, leaving Orion behind.

"I'll take care of this," Draco's hands burst into flames, and he charged forward.

"Draco, no! We're supposed to…" He was already gone. She threw her hands up in the air. "Boys! They never listen!"

It was obvious that Draco had a vendetta against Tuxedo Samurai, but why the guy would demand head on confrontation was a mystery. Every time the two faced off, Draco was hopelessly outclassed by Tuxedo Samurai's sheer skill with a blade. The man was practically untouchable with a sword. Orion had accounted for this in his plan, but Draco had other plans.

Fiery axes came at Tuxedo Samurai. He blocked them. The two warriors exchanged for a few moments. The tides were turned quickly however. Moments into the duel, Tuxedo Samurai ran his blade across the side of Draco's hip. It wasn't a deep cut, but it was enough to make him falter. A second and third cut came across his arm and chest—the latter crossing over his previous wound.

That was it! Draco rose up, like a man on fire. He charged full force towards Tuxedo Samurai with all his might and fury.

"TUXEDO SAMURAI!" Mars called out.

He ducked then held out the blunt end of his katana. As Draco came flying at him, he rammed the hilt of the katana into Draco's diaphragm. The General smacked into it hard and gasped for one final breath. His face went white as a sheet. Draco collapsed to the ground, barely able to take a breath.

Tuxedo Samurai rose slowly from his crouched position. He looked down the alley. That other General had something in his hands. The masked man leapt forward with his sword ready to strike.

Orion looked up. "Shit!" He swore aloud. He wasn't ready. As Tuxedo Samurai flew forward, almost ready to strike. Orion took one last look at the blue orb in his hand. It was small but powerful. Just holding the thing made his hand painfully numb and cold. He threw it to the ground and leapt backwards. Hopefully, he'd get out of the way in time.

The orb shattered against the ground. Columns of ice sprouted up from the ground. As Tuxedo Samurai came in for a landing, ice enveloped him. First, it caught his feet, instantly freezing them. Quickly, the ice spread up his legs, past his torso, and continued towards his head. In a matter of moments, Tuxedo Samurai was completely encased in ice.

Sailor Mars put her hands over her mouth and gasped. "Oh, no!"

"Tuxedo Samurai!" Sailor Moon called out. "Is he alright?"

"I'm on it!" Sailor Mercury's fingers flew over the keyboard on her supercomputer.

He thought he got away, but suddenly, his legs felt heavy. He came crashing to the ground. He looked down at his feet. Damn it! He got caught in some of the blast. His legs were trapped in a block of solid ice. All he could do was to try and crawl away, to drag his feet along with him.

"He's alive!" Sailor Mercury called out. "My supercomputer is picking up his heartbeat!"

"Not for long!" Lyra said, raising her hand to the frozen prisoner, ready to strike.

Sailor Mars let her arrows do the talking. She quickly fired one off at Lyra. The arrow shot right through Lyra's hand. She howled in pain and waved her hand frantically.

Sailor Mercury continued on her supercomputer while the other four Sailors moved forward to confront Orion and Lyra. Orion's feet were still trapped in ice. Desperately, he tried hacking away at the ice block with his silver sword while simultaneously trying to scoot farther and farther away from the scene. Lyra danced down the alley screaming like a maniac while continuing to wave the hand that had an arrow in it.

"Lyra," Orion called. He watched as the Sailors approached. That Sailor Jupiter had sparks in her hands. That couldn't be good. "Get out of here!" She looked at him then looked at the approaching Sailors. Her hand was bleeding profusely, but she stood her ground.

Suddenly, a scream filled the alley. The Sailors spun around.

Draco stood, grinning like a wildcat, with his arm around Sailor Mercury's neck and his blade at her throat. She squirmed helplessly under his tight grasp trying to get enough air to breathe.

"SAILOR MERCURY!" They all shouted.

Draco took a step back, pulling Mercury along with him. "Get back!" He screamed at them, pressing the blade into Sailor Mercury's neck.

The Sailors stopped dead in their tracks.

"Don't hurt her!" Sailor Moon instantly sobbed. "Please!"

Draco looked like a wild animal, frantic and dangerous. "Give me the Moon Prince, or I'll kill her! I swear it!"

Sailor Venus shook her head. "We've told you. We don't know who the Moon Prince is. Please, just don't hurt her! She's done nothing wrong!"

"Ha!" Draco continued to back away. "Nothing but lies!"

"Let her go!" Jupiter hollered.

Draco only squeezed tighter.

Sailor Mercury gasped for air. "Help me…I can't…breathe…"

"SUPREME…" Sailor Jupiter hastily began an attack, but Draco jerked Sailor Mercury back with him as he took one last step. With that moment, he caused both of them to disappear into thin air. "…THUNDER!" The attack rolled down the empty alley and crashed into the wall.

Finally! He was free! Orion was able to break free from his ice shackles with his sword. His feet were still frozen, but at least his feet were not locked together anymore. He quickly tugged on Lyra's clothes and pulled her back. They disappeared. The Sailors were left alone.

They yelled for Sailor Mercury. But there was nobody there to hear them. She was gone—completely gone. The Negaverse had Sailor Mercury.


	14. A Conversation with Tuxedo Samurai

**Episode Fourteen**

**A Conversation with Tuxedo Samurai**

She fought. She fought as hard as she could, but it was not enough. It was the strangest sensation—teleporting through different dimensions while trying to struggle out of his grasp. It took only seconds though. One moment she was in a dark alley fighting with her friends, and in the next moment, her face slapped against a cold, hard, stone floor.

Sailor Mercury immediately tried to get up off the floor, but a swift kick to the side, stopped that. She collapsed back on the floor. Her eyes blinked rapidly with hot and heavy tears. Her vision was sideways. It appeared that she was in some kind of large chamber—dark, cold, and frightening.

She screamed she felt her body rise up from someone pulling her by the hair. She was dug through the large chamber to what appeared to be a rising platform with a throne. The pain from having her hair pulled disappeared for a moment. "Beryl," She gasped.

"It's _Queen_ Beryl!" Draco released his grip on Sailor Mercury's hair. He kicked her in the back of the knees, forcing her to kneel before the throne.

"How?" Mercury stuttered. "How are you still alive? We…we…you…I don't understand."

The dark Queen rose from her throne. The amused expression on her face only grew wider as Sailor Mercury looked more and more fearful as she approached. When she came up to the soldier of water, She placed her cold hand over Mercury's cheek, slowly running her long nails across the girl's soft flesh.

Sailor Mercury turned sharply, trying to move away from Beryl's touch. Just one graze of Beryl's skin against hers made her skin want to crawl.

Beryl noticed this and withdrew her hand. "Yes, it is like you Sailors to be arrogant enough to believe that you rid the world of my presence, but that is simply not true." Beryl turned away from her prisoner and stared off into her vast courtroom. Thousands upon thousands of monster hordes were at her command. Four powerful Generals beckoned to her every whim and call. Her Empire was stronger than ever.

Sailor Mercury held her head high. "We've defeated you before, and we will defeat you again. As soldiers of love and justice, it is our vow to liberate the universe of such evil and corruption."

Beryl laughed. "You believe me to be the corruption? Do you Sailors not work for your own vision and goals? How are we any different?"

That set Sailor Mercury off. "Our vision is for a world of peace, freedom, and happiness! Your vision is nothing but darkness, despair, and selfish gain!"

Beryl watched as the girl's chest heaved for a few moments then she smirked. "You watch and see, Sailor Mercury. It will be my vision that comes to pass."

"I'd rather die than see an old witch like you succeed!"

Like a ferocious tiger, Beryl ran her long nails across Mercury's face, causing three ragged cuts to bleed across the girl's face. Continuing in her anger, the Queen held out her hand just above Mercury's chest. A beam of dark energy shot from Queen Beryl's hand and entered into Sailor Mercury's chest.

Mercury screamed as the dark energy pierced through her body. God, it hurt. It was obvious that Beryl was making this anything but pleasant for her. Her eyes frantically scanned the room, looking for help, but there was none to be found. Draco was behind her, and although she couldn't see him, she could hear him laughing. Lyra stood off to the side looking a little beat up from the fight they had minutes earlier but still looking rather pleased with the situation. And then there was Orion. He looked like hell as well—cuts, bruises, and blood—but he stood off to the side watching as Beryl stole her power. She locked eyes with him for a moment—not sure if she was silently begging for his help or not. But, it didn't matter—he wasn't moving.

Her Sailor uniform dissipated into blue bows and ribbons. Soon, her school uniform appeared back on her body. The powers that she had access to were gone. Hovering just above her chest was her Sailor transformation pen. She gasped and tried to reach for it, but Beryl was too quick. Beryl drew the pen into her hands with her telekinetic powers. Sailor Mercury was now the helpless Ami Mizuno. She collapsed in a heap on the floor, too tired, scared, and in pain to move.

Beryl grinned like a mountain lion while she marveled at the pen in her hands. "My strength shall be benefited greatly by your contribution." She turned away from the girl and headed back to her throne. "Draco, you have brought me a most interesting present. You shall be rewarded."

"Yes, my Queen," The General could hardly contain a wicked smile. "What would you have me do with your present in the meantime?"

Beryl returned to her throne, but before she sat down, she looked at her court guards. "Guards, place her in the detention area with Sailor Pluto!" Immediately, the guards ran from their positions and took a hold of the trembling girl crumpled on the floor.

"My Queen," Draco looked absolutely stunned. "Should we put them together?" His voice grew much quieter and less confident as the Queen glared him down.

The guards quickly obeyed the Queen and took the girl out of the room.

Lyra glanced back and forth between the key players in the conversation. "Draco might have a point," She said, trying to defuse the situation. "What if they cause too much trouble together?"

Fire flashed in the Queen's eye. "You forget your stations!" She barked. It took her a moment to try and calm herself before she spoke again. "I may have plans that the likes of you could never fathom, and it is _my will_ that will be obeyed!" She wasn't very good at controlling her emotions.

"The Queen intends to torture the girl," Orion spoke up.

"What?" Draco and Lyra both looked confused.

The Queen's anger defused some, seeing that not everyone who served her was a complete idiot. She gracefully motioned her hand towards Orion. "Continue."

Orion noted the Queen's desire with a nod then looked back to his fellow Generals. "Sailor Pluto has been withholding information from us—how to best use the staff in order to see the future. It's been months now, and all the torture tactics we've used have been of no avail."

"So?" Draco balked.

"By putting those two in a cell together, they'll bond. They'll take care of each other and learn to depend on one another. Then when we torture Sailor Mercury, Sailor Pluto will be more than willing to give up the information that we desire."

"Well, how long is _that_ going to take?" Draco crossed his arms, skeptical of anything Orion had to say.

"Shorter than the methods we are using now," The fourth General Aludra spoke up. She was the mystic and magical advisor to Queen Beryl, and also Queen Beryl's personal executer and torturer. Magic could do things to people that were too awful to describe. "It's an absolutely delicious plan."

"So, we wait. They become friends, and then we attack," Lyra summarized the plan.

"Yes, that's about it," Orion sighed.

In the meanwhile, the guards drug their prisoner along the cold dark corridors of Beryl's palace. They took her through the prison area, past packed cells full of mournful and defeated souls. They came to a large metal door that led off to a private sector of the prison. It was much quieter past this door. It seemed as if nobody was on this side. They took her towards one of the cells. It had three inside walls, and its outside wall was nothing but metal bars.

And that's when she saw her. Sailor Pluto, in worn and tattered civilian clothes, lay helpless on the floor with her hands shackled to the walls. Despite looking grotesquely thin and miserably kept, Ami immediately knew she was looking at her friend Trista.

"Get in there!" The guard hollered, shoving Ami on the back. She fell on her hands and knees. Before she knew it, the door slammed shut. The keys jingled as the two guards walked away. Soon, they opened the large metal door and slammed it shut. They were alone.

"Trista!" Ami immediately rushed to the side of her friend. For some reason, they had Trista shackled to the wall, but they didn't bother with Ami.

The green haired woman's eyes faintly fluttered open. They were sticky with dirt and tears. It took her a moment to process the face that looked down upon her. "Ami?"

"Yes," Ami nodded vigorously, tears leaking down her face. "You're alive, Trista! We've all been so worried about you!"

"Barely," Trista managed to say with a strange sense of humor.

"I'm going to take care of you!" Ami started ripping away at her school uniform. The material would make decent bandages for Trista's wounds.

"Don't," Trista said, weakly. "It's too cold."

Ami frowned. Trista had been wearing long pants with a long sleeved blouse. Ami was only in her summer uniform with short sleeves and a skirt. And, there was still the matter of Trista's cuts. It was a surprise already that the wounds weren't infected. Ami pondered silently for a moment before speaking again. "I'm not going to let you die in here."

"Thank you," was all Trista had the strength to say before her eyes closed in exhaustion. The things she really wanted to say would have to wait until she had the strength to say it.

* * *

"Alright," Raye said, hanging up the telephone. "It's done."

There was a collective sigh in the room. Raye had called Azabu-Juuban High School. Pretending to be Ami's mother, Raye told the school that Ami would be accompanying her to Africa on a six week trip. It was indeed true that Ami's mother was in Africa on a six week trip, but it was not true that Ami would be accompanying her. That excuse, however, would only work for about five weeks until Ami's mother returned home. They would have to cross that bridge when they got there.

The room was silent for a long time until Serena broke out sobbing. She was the first to express what all of them felt in their hearts—sheer and utter brokenness. There was no telling what was happening to their friend in the Negaverse. Thoughts like that made them sick to their stomachs.

"Why would they take her?" Serena choked out through her tears. "I don't understand."

Mina buried her face into her hands. "She was just an easy target. She was behind us, and then Draco grabbed her."

Lita stared at the supercomputer. When Ami was grabbed, she dropped the computer on the ground. They had hoped the device might give a clue as to Ami's whereabouts, but it did not. As many searches as they ran on the device, nothing came up. Lita closed the tiny computer and then held onto it longingly.

Raye was buried in memories. What could have gone different? Everything! Gods, she hated herself for letting something like this happen. If she just were quicker, smarter, stronger—maybe this wouldn't have happened. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to cut off the forming tears, but it didn't work. They were just caught in a terrible situation. Tuxedo Samurai was frozen, there were only five of them, and Draco was a vicious beast with no concern for life.

The two guardian cats sat with the Sailor Scouts in Raye's bedroom. They looked just as sorrowful and mournful as the Sailors did. Even all the resources at their disposal at HQ yielded no results.

Mina put her head down on the table. "They're not going to give her up. Not unless we give them what they want."

"They want that stupid Moon Prince," Lita snapped. "We've already told them that we don't know who it is!"

"I know that!" Mina snapped back. "It's what they're going to demand though."

"Why does all of this have to be so damn hard?" Lita threw the supercomputer down a little too forcefully. "You'd think Queen Serenity would have given us a little more information about these things instead of leaving us in the dark!"

Serena sighed. Even though she barely knew the woman, something inside of her felt like she should defend her past mother. "Maybe she didn't know it would be so important."

"Well, it_ is_ important!"

"Hey," Raye put her hand on Lita's shoulder. "Nobody blames you."

Lita stared at her friend for a long hard time before bursting into tears. She had wondered time and time again if it was her last attack that provoked Draco into fleeing the scene with Ami in his grasp.

"We have to find out the identity of the Moon Prince," Mina said a while later.

"Why?" Raye asked. "So we can just turn him over to the Negaverse?"

"No," Mina shook her head. "But he's so important to them, maybe he can help us."

"Maybe," Serena said, hopelessly.

"Who else can help us?" Lita sniffled.

Raye stood up and stared pacing around her bedroom. "The outers can't help us. They said they don't know anything either. And Trista's gone. She'd probably have a good idea, but nobody's seen her in months."

"Darien doesn't know anything either," Serena added, still shell-shocked.

"And the HQ still has provided no resources," Luna crossed her outstretched paws.

"We have to do something!" Lita exclaimed.

Mina sat up straight. She blinked furiously as an idea washed over her mind. "What about Tuxedo Samurai?"

"He's already said he doesn't know anything." Raye crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know, but he really hasn't said much of anything," Mina continued. "Maybe if we get him talking, he'll say something useful."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Lita asked. "He always runs off after the fight's finished."

Mina looked right over at Raye and grinned.

"Oh, no!" Raye stomped her foot into the floor.

"What?" Mina went on the defensive. "He talks to you the most! You're the only one he'll practically say anything to!"

"This is the best strategy we have right now," Luna said, seriously, like a mother.

"If we have any chance of finding Ami, then we have to gather as much information as we can," Artemis added. "If this Tuxedo Samurai person seems to trust you, Raye, then you are our best hope to get any information from him."

Raye sighed. She would do anything to get Ami back safe and sound. "What do you want me to do?"

"You've just got to get him to tell you everything he knows," Mina said, as if it were a simple matter. "Maybe he'll know something that can help us."

"Oh, I hope so," Serena sighed.

* * *

The short lived high that Draco experienced now only tasted like absolute bitterness. He was commended for bringing Sailor Mercury before the Queen's feet, but not much later, he was condemned for not bringing Sailor Mars. It was Sailor Mars that the Queen really wanted, not Sailor Mercury.

He was determined, however, to make her happy. It worked well for him anyway. Through the encounters, something of a grudge emerged against Sailor Mars and that stupid masked man with the sword. Hopefully, that would end today with their deaths.

Lyra appeared before him. She bounced happily before him, much in contrast to his mood at the moment. "I have a target! I have a target!"

"Who?" Draco crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss!" She threw a folded up piece of paper into his lap.

He rolled his eyes at her tease and picked up the paper. He unfolded it and wrinkled his nose at the sight.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" Lyra beamed proudly.

Draco's left eye twitched for a few moments before he answered. Gods, he was starting to sound like Orion. "We're not just targeting whoever you think is _gorgeous,_ you know!"

"But he's a model," Lyra reasoned. "He's handsome, well-refined, and good with the press—those all sound like things a Prince could do."

"From everything Beryl said, the Moon Prince isn't some…you know…frou-frou Prince. He's a warrior! He was a General for crying out loud! He isn't some stupid model!" He tossed the paper back in his lap

Lyra stomped her foot into the ground. "You don't know that!" She snatched up the paper from Draco. "Maybe he takes karate lessons!" He looked at the picture again.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Karate lessons?"

She continued looking at the picture. "I think he'll do nicely."

* * *

"Remember," Sailor Venus said as the five of them ran to the scene of the crime. "You have to keep your lips all pouty and flash your eyelashes a few times!"

"I know, I know, I know!" Sailor Mars hissed.

Venus stopped running and turned to look at her friend. Despite the fact that when they transformed and fresh make-up appeared on their faces, Venus insisted that Mars add some more. "Raye, you're getting all sweaty! You'll ruin your eye-shadow!"

"Mina!" Mars motioned her hand in their direction they were supposed to be running. "There's an attack happening, and you want to talk about make-up?"

"If you're going to get the lowdown from Tuxedo Samurai, then we've got to pull out the big guns!" Mina pulled out a tube of red lipstick. "Now, hold still!" She grabbed Mars' chin and began applying more lipstick.

"Mi…" Mars tried to protest, but Venus' iron grip made it impossible.

"There!" Venus looked satisfied.

"Can we go now?" Mars cocked her head to the side.

"Yes! Of course!" Venus led the charge. "You'll thank me later when Tuxedo Samurai is spilling all of his secrets!"

"He doesn't have any secrets!" Mars hissed.

"Or you'll thank me when he kisses you!"

"MINA!"

"Oh, she doesn't need any make-up for that!" Sailor Moon added. "He loves her just the way she is!"

"SERENA!"

"Hey!" Sailor Jupiter interjected. "There they are!"

The scene was similar to the last one—outside the backdoor of a large building in a secluded alleyway. This time, there were only two of them. Lyra stood with the crystal looking absolutely heartbroken that her target was not the Moon Prince. Draco stood behind Lyra ready for battle with his flaming axes.

Sailor Jupiter, full of rage, immediately threw out an attack. "SUPREME THUNDER!" The attack rolled down the alleyway, illuminating its path along the way. Draco cut through the ball of lightning with his two axes like butter.

The four Sailors stood, not terribly surprised. These Generals were some of the most difficult enemies they had ever faced. They moved into an attack formation and prepared for battle.

Lyra turned around, ignoring her worthless target. She stood behind Draco ready for battle as well. It was four against two. The battle began with Lyra using her mood manipulation powers. The alleyway filled with a pink sparkly haze. While the other Sailors felt there senses dull, Sailor Venus was ready to attack.

Draco remembered that. Lyra's powers didn't work as well on Sailor Venus. So before Sailor Venus could go on the offensive, Draco charged forward.

Venus' eyes bulged. She squealed as she leapt out of the way of his attack. He kept coming at her though, furious and angry, like a raging bull. Finally, she leapt back as far as she could and snapped her whip attack at Draco. It snapped him on the hand and caused on of his axes to disappear. The other hand however threw the axe towards her. She tried to dodge, but the axe grazed across her arm, burning her skin.

Sailor Mars was the first to break out of the hold that Lyra's powers held over them. Her head still felt full of fog, but she knew that this current feeling wasn't right. She called upon her golden bow and fired off a shot. It wasn't an accurate shot by any means, but it did the trick.

Lyra's concentration broke in order to dodge the arrows. Quickly, the other two sailors felt like a cloud lifted off their minds. Draco had taken out Sailor Venus for the moment. It was Sailor Mars who broke Lyra's concentration. Now was the time! He charged for her.

Sailor Mars quickly raised her bow to defend herself from Draco's newly reformed axes. The two stared each other down as they each pushed to gain the upper hand in the deadlock.

"Where is Sailor Mercury?!" Mars hissed.

"Where is the Moon Prince?!" Draco growled back.

The other Sailors were left against Lyra. The girl with pink hair fluttered her long lashes for a moment. She clapped her hands together then slowly pulled them apart. A golden hand-mirror appeared between them. Once the mirror was formed, she grasped onto it like a weapon.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter took one look at the mirror and laughed hysterically.

Lyra's nose wrinkled. She gave one wave of that golden mirror, and a pink wave of air flew at the Sailors. The wind picked them up and threw them back quite a few meters. Lyra smirked as the two sailors looked absolutely bewildered trying to recover from the swift and painful blow.

"Maybe we shouldn't have laughed," Sailor Moon grabbed her throbbing head. She smacked her head pretty hard on the ground.

"Yeah," was all Sailor Jupiter managed to say. She blinked furiously—still seeing double.

Sailor Mars was getting pretty beaten up as well. Sailor Venus forced herself off the support of the wall. Her burnt arm was screaming at her not to move, but she had to do something to help. "VENUS CRESCENT…"

Before she could finish the words, Draco sent a fireball her way. She wasn't prepared to block at all. The fireball sailed right through her arms and crashed into her shoulder. She went flying right back into the wall, smacking her head against the bricks.

All that was left was Sailor Mars. The other ones were out of commission for the moment with their injuries. This would be the moment to take out Sailor Mars. Lyra and Draco ganged up on her. Sailor Mars backed away from them, but there was nowhere to go.

Lyra gripped her mirror with a wide grin. "Let's get her, Draco!" She raised the golden mirror ready to give it a wave, but suddenly, she howled out in pain and dropped the mirror on the ground. Its glass face shattered into a thousand pieces.

"What the hell?" Draco saw a deep cut across the back of Lyra's hand. He searched around frantically until he saw the source of the attack. His eyes narrowed.

Lyra continued to pout and wine. It was the same hand that had an arrow shot through it days ago. It was still incredibly tender. She looked up to where Draco's eyes were. It was Tuxedo Samurai. He threw a throwing star at her hand and cut it up pretty badly. "Oh, I can't believe he'd to this to me!" She danced in place while trying to nurse her hand.

Draco looked at her incredulously. After his initial shock, he shook his head and continued. "Go home," He said. "I'll take care of him!  
"But, we're supposed to get Sailor Mars! We made a plan!"

"Don't worry," Draco smirked. "I will."

Tuxedo Samurai leapt down from the top of one of the buildings. He landed in front of Sailor Mars, protecting her from Draco and Lyra. His sword was already drawn and ready for battle. "You won't touch her!"

The other sailors turned their attention to the showdown. They managed to gain some strength and stood up to join the fight behind Sailor Mars.

"Draco." Lyra's voice quivered. She reached out and grabbed his arm, and hid behind him. "I don't like the looks of this. We need to get out of here."

Draco gritted his teeth. Backing down from a fight wasn't his style. Lyra kept tugging at his arm and whining. Gods, he couldn't think with all that whining! He growled and disappeared into thin air.

Lyra stood before Tuxedo Samurai and the four sailors all alone. She squeaked like a mouse and disappeared shortly afterwards.

The sailors breathed a sigh of relief.

Tuxedo Samurai stood up from his defensive position and sheathed his katana.

Sailor Mars gasped aloud when she felt a hand slap across her bottom. She spun around quickly, very offended

Sailor Venus winked. "Get in there!" She blew a kiss before running away with the other sailors. "Good luck!"

"Wait a minute!" Mars hissed under her breath. They were already gone. She was alone with Tuxedo Samurai. She started laughing, hysterically. She always laughed like an idiot when she was nervous.

He turned around. She couldn't see his eyes behind those white glasses, but she knew must have carried a look of confusion in them. He studied the scene for a moment. "Where are your friends?"

"Oh, them?" Mars continued to laugh. "I think they had to go to the bathroom or something."

"I see," He continued to look around the alley.

Mars slapped her forehead. "Oh, real romantic, Mars! Talking about the bathroom?" She hissed under her breath.

"What was that?" Tuxedo Samurai turned to her.

"Nothing!" She laughed again.

His face instantly looked worried. "Are you alright?" He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You look like you have a black eye!"

Mars pondered for a moment. She didn't get hit in the face today. Then it made sense. "That's my make-up." Stupid Mina!

Tuxedo Samurai looked mortified. He put his hands down to his side and flushed a bright shade of red. "I…umm…well…"  
She laughed, genuinely this time. That broke the tension.

"Sorry," He said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," Mars said. "Can't always stay pretty in battle."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," He said, looking at her.

It was her turn to blush. She glanced away and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Tuxedo Samurai glanced around one more time while nodding his head. "I should go." Before he could take a step, Sailor Mars reached out for him.

"I need to talk to you," She said, her eyes full of worry. This wasn't a game. She had to find out anything she could to help them find Mercury.

Tuxedo Samurai looked away. "I don't know if I can help you."

"Please," Her voice was pleading. He could not deny her so he turned back to her and nodded his head. They were in a position to easily lock arms so she slid her arm around his and took a hold of it. "Where can we go that is safe?" She asked.

Before she knew it, he pulled her back and scooped her up into his strong arms. He leapt unnaturally high into the air. "What are you doing?" She gasped as she squeezed his neck tightly.

"Going somewhere safe," He ran across the top of the roof and leapt into the air once again. "That is, if I don't choke to death first."

"Sorry," She blushed, releasing her death grip around his neck.

It only took them a few minutes with him running and jumping across the rooftops until he reached a building away from the main pathways of the neighborhood. They came to the roof of a construction project, and he put her down.

"Why here?" She turned around, seeing the beautiful, glowing skyline of Tokyo. That was a stupid question.

"What do you need to talk about?" He leaned against the edge railing while resting his arm against the hilt of his sword.

Sailor Mars only looked at him. There were a thousand questions she wanted to ask him all at once, but she had to start with the most important. "They took our friend—Sailor Mercury."

"I know," He said, sadly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," She said. "We don't know how to get her back." She thought she might burst into tears right then and there. "Those Generals are demanding the Moon Prince, but the trouble is, we don't know who that is."

Tuxedo Samurai nodded. "They want an exchange."

"Exactly." Sailor Mars crossed her arms over her chest. "They seem to think we can do that, but we can't. We're afraid of what they might do to her." The tears could not be held back.

He leapt up off the railing and rushed to her.

Theoretically, it should have been strange for her to fall into the arms of a stranger, but he felt like anything but a stranger. If anything, it felt comforting to cry against his chest as he held onto her. "I need your help," She breathed against him.

That looked like it killed him. He took a step back from her. "I wish I could help you, but I don't know if I can."

"What do you mean?"

Tuxedo Samurai looked back towards the Tokyo skyline. "I don't know anything. I don't have any memories. I don't even know who I am."

"I don't understand," Sailor Mars bit her lip.

He sighed. "I don't know who I am, or where I come from. I just end up like this. I don't remember anything between my periods of consciousness. It's like huge gaps of my life are missing."

"You have nothing?" She took his arm again, pulling him close. "Not even a name?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. No name—none that I know of anyway."

She looked at the skyline too. "What _do_ you know then?"

He looked over at her. "That I'm supposed to protect you."

"Why?" She cocked her head to the side.

"You're the _only _thing that I remember," He said, as if that was his life. "I have nothing except for you."

She looked really confused. "What do you have about me? We've never met before all these attacks started happening."

"There's this vision—or dream—I'm not sure."

"Dreams?" She couldn't help but gasp.

"I don't understand it myself. I don't know who I am, but I do know that somewhere and sometime ago we loved each other." He shook his head. "I don't know where or when. It was in a place far away—under the stars and the Earth…"

"…on the Moon," She uttered, finishing his sentence.

He jerked his head toward her. "You understand what I'm talking about?"

She looked straight into that mysterious white mask. "You're the one in my dreams, aren't you? You're him."

"Yes." He nodded. "That's the only memory I have, and it's with you."

"What does it mean then?" She asked him, frightened like a child.

"I don't know," He said. "But I promise I'm going to find out," He said before he kissed her.

There was no doubt it was him. That kiss felt exactly like it did in the dreams—tender, meaningful, and absolutely wonderful. His lips responded to hers in the exact same way. Losing herself in the moment, she would not break away from him. The experience seemed so new—she had never kissed anyone like that before. She wasn't even quite sure how to kiss someone like that, but even being so new, that moment ached of such familiarity. Gods, it was wonderful.

Then she realized what she was doing. She broke off their kissing and took a step back. A wide and dreamy smile appeared on his face. She couldn't help but smile as well despite the fact that a thousand thoughts and feelings started swarming together like a tempest inside of her.

"I should go," He said, just the same way as when they started this conversation.

She nodded. "Yes, so should I."

He still had his hand on her arms. His hand slid down, and he took her hand in his. He pulled it up and placed a kiss on her white glove. He then released it and backed away. "Goodbye," He said before leaping off a building backwards.

She gasped and ran to the edge.

He hollered in pure delight as he flew headfirst down the building. In midair, she watched him turn around and land on the ground perfectly. It took her a moment, but she laughed, despite the fact that her heart still pounded wildly in her chest from all the excitement.


	15. The Man in the Expensive Suit

**Episode Fifteen**

**The Man in the Expensive Suit**

The rations—that is, if they remembered to bring them—were meager at best. Stale bread and cold porridge were about the best they could hope for, but it didn't always come. They were lucky today since it came. Gently, Ami cradled Trista's head in her lap and carefully tipped the slimy porridge into Trista's mouth.

She could barely eat. Perhaps it was sheer exhaustion, a loss of a will to live, or pride, but Trista could not seem to get much of the food down her throat. "Just a little bit more, Trista," Ami encouraged. "You can do it."

"But you," Trista said.

Ami got good at interpreting Trista's short sentences over the last few days. Trista wasn't able to talk much due to her weak condition, but Ami was able to put the pieces together none the less. Ami sighed. Trista didn't want to eat Ami's portion. "You need this more than I do right now."

There was no denying that truth, but still, Trista refused to eat.

Ami sighed and put the bowl down. "Alright, maybe later." It wasn't like that porridge was going to get any colder than it already was. Ami helped Trista move into a sleeping position. It wasn't much later until Trista was back asleep.

Ami, however, leaned up against the wall and pulled her legs up to her body. She wrapped her arms around her ankles and rested her head against her knees. Glancing over at Trista made tears come to her eyes. Without medical attention, she wouldn't last much longer. Sure, Trista was a sailor, but even sailors had their limits, and perhaps in a few months, she herself would be in the same condition.

Her eyes drifted to the shackles dangling above her. For some reason, the guards showed a tiny shred of mercy and unshackled Trista from the wall. Theoretically, if Trista was able to move, she would now be free to move about the cell, but that wasn't the case. Tears streamed like rivers down Ami's face. Trista was tortured in this cell for weeks. It was unbearable to think about.

She shivered. The watery tears were so cold against her skin. She turned her head to wipe the tears on her knees.

They were in a private area of the prison. Normally, nobody could get in or out unless they passed through a large, solid metal door. He suddenly appeared in the room, not bothering with the door at all. Ami heard the faint popping sound that came from someone's teleportation and looked out through the cell bars. Curious, she stood up from the floor and walked over to the bars.

"What do you want?" She even surprised herself with her harsh tone.

The General of Starskill didn't say anything. Instead, he held out the blanket in his hand.

Ami eyed the blanket suspiciously. Dozens of different evil plots came to her mind as she tried to figure out why the General would be offering her something like this.

"It should be big enough for you and your friend," He finally spoke up.

"Why would you care?" There was still disdain in her voice.

"Would you just take it?" He flicked his hand, motioning for her to take it.

She fell silent. The look on his face was so interesting—difficult to discern even. She studied it for a moment then looked back towards Trista. "The guards will confiscate it when they see it."

"No," Orion said. "I'll make sure they don't."

"Alright," She nodded gently and reached out for it. He took a step forward and gave her the blanket. She pulled it through the bars of the cell and unraveled it. It was a standard grey blanket. After examining it for a moment, she took it over to Trista and covered her with it.

Orion only stared when she did this.

Ami came back to the cell bars. "I suppose I should thank you."

"You're quite selfless, you know." He put his hands into his pockets.

"How so?" She asked.

Orion nodded his head, motioning towards Trista. "You take care of her before you take care of yourself."

"That is the code that all Sailor Scouts live by."

Orion pondered for a moment. "Most people I know…" He stopped himself. "It doesn't really matter." He turned away.

She sighed and turned away as well, thinking the conversation to be over.

"Mizuno-san," He called out to her, turning back around.

"What?" She looked back towards the bars.

There was clearly something on his mind by the look he had on his face, but the tone in her voice wasn't exactly welcoming. He bit his lip for a second then shook his head. "Nevermind," He apologized. "I'll go now." His disappeared.

Ami gripped ahold of the cold bars. She pressed her forehead against them and stood pondering on what just happened.

* * *

Raye sat on the deck of the shrine grounds. Two crows happily hopped around her as she sat buried in thoughts. She reached down for her morning cup of tea and sipped on the warm liquid. She had that dream last night again—the one with Tuxedo Samurai. It was him. She was absolutely sure of it now, and yet, that didn't seem to ease the tension inside of her. Why not?

She reached up, gently touching her lips. They kissed and not just a mere peck on the lips either. It was a real kiss, and it continued with more kissing. She blushed. She had never done that with anyone before. Sure, she had been doing that in her dreams for the past few months, but the other night, dreams became a reality. And yet, things did not feel settled.

Raye gazed off in the distance. Her fingers continued to graze across her lips as she studied the boy on the other side of the shrine grounds. He was up early, as usual. Before school and shrine chores, he would rise early to practice his kata. The boy moved gracefully moving in a series of martial art poses. She had heard her friends mention that he was quite the star in martial arts club. They weren't kidding.

Raye had no idea how much time had passed when he started calling her name—well, actually calling for the Princess. She tore herself from her thoughts and looked at him. He was sweaty but bright eyed that morning.

"Good morning, Princess!"

"I really don't like to be called that," She said one more time.

"Anyway," He ignored that comment. "Your grandfather said that we should clean the kagura-dono today. There's going to be a wedding tomorrow."

Raye frowned. That was going to be a lot of work. "When did he say that?"

"Last night at dinner," Akira said. "You missed it..."

"And you never miss it…" She added with a smile. "…so of course you know."

"Yeah, well," He trailed off for a moment looking away. "Where were you anyway?"

Great. How was she supposed to answer that? She was with the other sailors trying to think of a plan to get Ami back. "With my friends." She tried to sound causal.

"Oh," Akira nodded. "Is Ami alright?"

"Why do you ask?" Raye looked a little startled.

Akira shrugged. "She hasn't been in class for a few days. She's about the only person I can stand talking to in English class."

"Well, Ami's on a trip," She looked away when she lied. "She went with her mom to Africa."

Akira looked confused. "She didn't tell me that she was going to Africa. She said her mom was going, and that she'd be home alone for a few weeks."

Raye didn't realize that Akira knew her friends so well. She looked away as she tried to think of another lie quickly. "It was just a last minute thing. She wasn't going to go then she changed her mind."

"Oh," Akira nodded, satisfied with that answer. "That's cool. I've never been out of the country before."

"Oh, really?" She said. She had traveled quite a few places outside Japan, but that was a long time ago. All it amounted to was getting dragged around on her father's stupid political business trips—China, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, and even Australia. None of that was filled with any happy memories though.

Akira nodded. "Well, I did go to Okinawa once. That's a little exotic."

She laughed, but not in a cruel way. "We will have to rectify that someday."

He blinked for a moment. "_We_?"

Raye blinked too then blushed. "I mean, well, _you_…when you get the time…you should go somewhere you want to go. You only live once."

Akira nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

* * *

After her duties with the kagura-dono were finished, she called her friends to discuss their next plan of action to find Ami. The four of them gathered up in Raye's bedroom that Saturday afternoon over tea.

"So he doesn't know anything," Lita looked heartbroken to hear the news.

Raye shook her head. "No, he barely knows who he is let alone anything else." Raye clasped her hands together as she sat at the coffee table in her bedroom.

"Tuxedo Samurai was our best lead," Lita rubbed her forehead.

"I know it," Raye said. "I really believe he'd help us if he could, but he can't—not with finding Ami anyway."

Mina pondered for a moment. "So what _did_ you talk about then?"

Raye froze. "Oh, well, you know…"

Mina studied Raye for a moment. Her eyes then flew wide open and she pointed her finger at Raye. "You guys kissed, did you?"

"No!" Raye flat out lied. She glanced away from Mina's piercing gaze.

Mina however continued to stare as the gears turned inside of her head. After a few moments, she burst into laughter. "It was _more_ than one kiss, wasn't it? You guys kissed! A lot!"

"NO!" Raye hollered, her face flushing a thousand shades of crimson.

"Yes, you did!" Mina squealed. "I know that look!" She bounced around the room like a giddy school girl.

"Mina!" Raye snapped. "This is serious! We're trying to find Ami!"

Mina immediately settled down. "I know," She said, sounding guilty. "I guess I just thought we should celebrate something exciting."

"So what _did _happen?" Lita asked, not exactly buying Mina's hypothesis yet.

Raye still looked bashful.

"Oh!" Lita eyes flew wide open in surprise. "You mean she's actually right?"

Mina punched her friend on the arm. "What is _that _supposed to mean?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Lita snapped, rubbing the now sore spot on her arm. She looked at Raye. "You trust him—well, enough for that? I know it's none of my business, but I mean, we barely know the guy. It sounds like the guy barely knows himself."

Raye opened her mouth but no words came out.

"Raye," Serena spoke up. "I think you should tell them."

"Tell us what?" Mina and Lita chorus in unison.

Raye shot a dirty look in Serena's direction. It wasn't like she had a choice now. She sighed then looked at her two clueless friends. "I've been having dreams—well, just one dream—for the past few months."

"What dream?" Lita looked concerned. Raye having dreams usually didn't bode well for the Sailor cause.

Gods, she hated rehashing over these things again. "I've been having this dream where I find myself standing in the ruins of the Moon Kingdom. Then a masked man comes to me—it's Tuxedo Samurai." She paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. She thought it best, and less painful, to leave out the confusing part about her previous assumption of it being Darien. "I can't explain everything, but it feels so real." She looked away.

"What happens in the dream?" Mina asked.

Of course Mina had to ask the embarrassing questions—that was just her nature. Raye sighed. "He tells me that he loves me."

Mina clasped her hands together and sighed. "Oh, how romantic!"

"Why didn't you tell us this?" Lita looked hurt, confused, and a little angry all at the same time.

Raye looked away from her friends. "It was a little embarrassing. I'm sorry. I know I should have said something, but it was just too much…"

Lita's tension eased and she put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We're always here for you, girl. No matter what."

Raye nodded, comforted. "I know. I was just…really confused." They didn't know the half of it, but they seemed satisfied with her answer.

"This really doesn't make any sense though," Sailor Venus folded her arms over her stomach. "There's so many unanswered question."

"Tell me about it," Raye agreed.

"There are three Generals with super-wacky powers," Mina said.

Lita nodded. "Right,"

"They want someone called the Moon Prince. None of us have any idea who that is."

"No idea," Serena chimed in.

"Trista has been missing for three months. They've taken Ami."

"Yes." Raye sighed.

"There's some mystery man who, by the way, doesn't even know who he is, that's in love with Raye."

"Uh-huh," Lita confirmed.

"And, we have no idea what to do about any of it," Mina said.

They all sighed, defeated.

* * *

Later that day, Raye tied a small piece of paper onto one of the trees at the shrine. It was a prayer. She stood quietly before the tree with her hands pressed together and her eyes closed shut. "Please let Ami be alright," she whispered upon the gentle wind that day. She could not linger. She knew where that would lead—to tears.

She needed anything—anything to keep herself busy, anything to keep her mind off the fact that they were so helpless right now. Could there be any worse feeling in the world? Raye forced herself to wander the Shrine grounds that Sunday afternoon to keep herself occupied. Luckily, the shrine had been quiet for the most part. There were hardly any visitors to contend with, and the chores on her list were ones that kept her in isolation. She just didn't want to be around people today. It just would take too much from her.

As she rounded around one of the buildings however, she heard a familiar sound. She knew immediately where to look.

There he was. In his hands was a tall, thin, traditional Japanese bow. With controlled strength, Akira pulled the bow string back, aimed carefully, and fired a long, thin arrow towards the target. Soon, it thumped against a large circular target made of string and hay.

She nodded with a mildly impressed look. He was good, but—she smirked as it crossed her mind—she was better. She walked up behind him. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, Princess!" He turned around, slightly startled. "I was just trying it."

She looked at the bow carefully, studying the fine grain patterns in the wood. "Do you like my bow?"

Akira severely blushed. "I'm sorry! I didn't know it was yours!" He immediately pushed it towards her, but she didn't take it. "I found it in the back shed, and I assumed…"

"It's alright," She said, not taking the bow back from him. "Now," She said, primly. "I asked, _do you like my bow_?"

He nodded. "Yes, it's very nice. Perhaps a bit short for me though."

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, my mother and I ended up being the about same height. It_ is _a little too short for you though."

"This is _her _bow?" Akira looked down at the bow in his hands. Was it possible to feel even more stupid? He used Raye's dead mother's bow without asking permission. What an idiot!

"Yes," Raye turned and looked towards the target, noting Akira's shot. "You're decent with it though."

Akira rubbed the back of his head. "I've been studying kyudo for a few years now."

"Take a shot—your _best_ shot." She turned to him, hair whipping.

"Are you sure?" He asked, still embarrassed about the bow.

"Just shoot," She said.

"Yes, Princess." He notched an arrow, raised the bow, and drew the string back. He took his time, focusing for a moment, and then fired.

The arrow hit the center circle in the lower left portion. It was a good shot. Again, she nodded in approval.

He turned to her, almost looking as if he hoped she was impressed. "Ta-da!" He said, waving his arms like a magician.

She smirked. She'd wipe the smile right off his face. She always did in gym class when her school would have co-ed classes with their brother school. Well, boys didn't like that so much, but sometimes, she just couldn't help herself. "Let me try."

"Of course. It's yours." He handed her the bow and stepped aside.

She notched an arrow and quickly fired it off. With speed and deadly precision, Raye hit her target right on the bull's-eye. Raye predicted what his reaction would be—moody, sullen, and threatened. That's how all men acted when she was better at something than they were. She turned, with a wide smirk on her face, but his expression was much different than what she anticipated.

His bright blue eyes were excited. "Wow! That was incredible!" He looked back and forth between her and the target. "Could you teach me how to do that sometime?"

"Well, I…suppose…I mean…," She looked away, embarrassed with her previous brazen smirk.

"Where did you learn how to shoot like that?" He reached for another arrow and put it into her hand. "Can you show me again?"

She was about as red as her miko pants, but she fired again. He marveled at her accuracy once again as the second arrow grazed against the first arrow, hitting the bull's-eye. She however slightly frowned. If she wasn't so flustered, she could have cracked that first arrow right down the center.

"I know how you got to be so good," He said as a matter of fact.

Hearing those words pulled Raye out of her slight daze. "How?" She looked confused.

"Sometimes even Princesses have to defend their castles." He nodded, trying to be serious but failing.

Raye blinked at him. He had no idea how right he was, but she couldn't tell him that. Her skills with a bow were honed through the fires of battle as a Sailor Scout.

"Soooo," He said, stretching his "o's."

Goodness, that reminded her of Serena.

"Will you teach me?" He asked, eagerly. "I'll get my own bow. I promise."

She looked away, trying to give the impression that it would be a burden. "Oh, I suppose I could find some spare time to work with you."

"Great!" He beamed.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of two men bickering. Akira and Raye turned and looked behind them.

Fast approaching was a middle-aged man finely dressed in a suit and tie. Anybody who knew anything about suits would know that he was wearing a charcoal grey suit hand-tailored by A. Caraceni in Milan, but they didn't know that. He wore black square framed glasses over his deep brown eyes. His dark black hair and moustache were neatly trimmed. He carried a bouquet of flowers (Casablanca lilies) in one hand, and a briefcase in the other.

The short little Priest of the Hikawa Shrine ran as fast as his old legs could carry him behind the taller man. His angry face was red like a cherry, but the man paid little more attention to him than anyone would to an annoying fly. "Hino-san, I asked you a question!" The old man huffed and puffed.

"Raye!" The man set the briefcase down on the ground and held out his arms wide, still holding onto the flowers.

Raye didn't move. "Dad."

"Dad?" Akira had more reaction than Raye did. He looked back and forth between the two. From everything he gathered, he thought Raye's father was dead, but there he was, and Raye didn't seem happy about it.

The man extended the flowers towards Raye, but she did not take them.

"It's not my birthday," was all that she said.

"I know that," He said, his enthusiasm starting to grow cold. He insisted that she take the flowers by offering them again. This time, she reluctantly accepted.

"What do you want then?" Raye asked.

"That's something I'd like to know as well!" Grandpa demanded.

Raye's father turned like hawk towards the old man. "I don't need a reason to see my daughter, Himura-san! I will see her anytime I deem fit!"

"You listen here…"

"Enough!" Raye snapped.

The two men fell silent. Hino-san sighed before he continued. "As I was about to say," He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I should stop by."

"Alright," Raye shrugged. "You did."

The man laughed, but not happily. He shook his head. "Oh, Raye—always so sarcastic and cynical. At least that's what all your reports from school have been saying anyway."

Raye glanced away for a moment. "And, I wonder why I would feel that way." She turned her head back and stared straight at him.

Hino-san tugged at his shirt collar. "Anyway, perhaps we should go inside?"

"Like I would let _you_ into _my _house…" Grandpa began.

"Grandpa," Raye sighed.

The old man ended his protest and deferred to Raye.

"Good." Hino-san looked like his mood was improving. He picked up his briefcase and marched straight for the house. "Himura-san, put on some tea."

Raye's grandfather was about to protest when Akira's hand came out and blocked his master from moving any further. "I'll get the tea," Akira said.

The old man took a moment to snap out of his anger before he nodded to Akira's plan. Raye was already following behind her father into the house. Akira left the old man alone and followed into the house to make the tea.

Hino-san immediately took off his suit jacket. When Akira stepped into the house, he was hit in the face with the jacket.

"Hang that up carefully, boy. It wrinkles easily."

Akira pulled the jacket off his face.

"Himura-san, where's that tea?" Hino called out.

"I'll be making the tea," Akira spoke up.

"Well?" Hino-san stared at him for a moment.

"Right," Akira turned, making sure the man didn't see him roll his eyes. If the man wasn't Raye's father—well—who knew what he might have said. He walked out of the room to put the jacket down. Instead of hanging it up, he threw it sacrilegiously on one of the chairs and walked out to start the tea.

* * *

Akira watched as the old man sat at the kitchen table for hours on end. The old man looked like he was going to have a heart attack at any moment. The man would sigh for a moment, as if he was going to say something, but he'd only shake his head and remain silent. Raye and her father had moved into the tearoom to have private conversation hours ago, leaving Akira and Master Himura alone. What could they be talking about for so long?

It wasn't much longer when Hino-san appeared. His face was indiscernible at the moment. He looked towards Akira expectantly.

"Yes?" Akira tried to hide his indignation.

"My jacket," Hino-san said as if it should have been obvious.

Akira rose from the chair, not eager to retrieve the jacket or leave his new master alone with the man. He looked at Grandpa for approval.

Grandpa nodded towards the door. Akira left the kitchen.

"I suppose I'll see you in April then?" Grandpa tried to make civil conversation.

"You'll see me much sooner than that," Hino-san said triumphantly.

Grandpa turned in his chair faster than anyone would have thought those old bones could move. "You _what_?"

"Yes, my daughter and I will be spending much more time together in the near future." Hino-san grinned from ear to ear.

The old man paused for a moment, studying the younger man. He then spoke, almost dangerously quiet, while he narrowed his beady little eyes. "Takeshi, if you break her heart again, I swear…"

"Ah-ha, my jacket!" Hino-san exclaimed when Akira came in with his expensive jacket. He quickly snatched it up and put it on. He smoothed out the material with his hand then stood up straight. "I must be going! There's a lot to be done and little time to do it!" The man walked out as briskly as he walked up to meet them in the beginning. Soon, he was gone.

Raye's grandfather looked like he sat on a pinecone, but he was absolutely silent. Akira stood there in the kitchen having no idea what to say. They were quiet for a long time. Finally, Raye emerged from her hiding spot.

Grandpa turned towards her. "What did he want? What did he say? Why did he come here? Why did he show up today? What's going on?" With every question, he raised higher and higher out of his chair. Before he knew it, he was standing with his hands pressed into the table.

Raye motioned for the questions to stop with her hand. "Grandpa, I just want to be alone for a while." And with those last words, Raye swiftly left the kitchen and headed outside.

Grandpa looked at Akira. "Did I say something?"

* * *

How was she supposed to feel about this? How was she supposed to feel about any of it? There was a mystery man in her dreams, there was a new enemy, one of her best friends was missing, she had to get good scores this year to go to a decent university, and now this.

She pulled her legs closer and rested her head on them. This was all too much. She wanted to cry right then and there out in the chilly night's air. She sat on the roof of one of the shrine's many buildings all alone with her thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

Raye raised her head up and looked down to the ground. Akira stood holding something while he looked up at her. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want tell the truth either so she said nothing.

"Can I come up?"

Raye only tucked her head back into her knees.

"I have hot chocolate." He held up the thermal canister in his hand and shook it temptingly.

She looked up. Damn it. He was learning her weaknesses. "If you want to, I guess."

It wasn't much longer until Akira climbed the roof and joined her. He brought the hot chocolate and a small house blanket with him. As much as she tried to not look eager, she threw the blanket around her cold body and quickly opened the hot chocolate.

She savored the feeling of a warm cup in her hands before taking her first sip. It warmed her chest instantly.

They sat quite for a moment before she broke the silence. "Didn't you want some?" She asked, noticing that he didn't bring any extra cups.

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

They both instinctively looked down to the ground. "Sorry," She said. "I didn't mean to steal your thinking spot."

He smirked. "That's alright. It's your shrine anyway—even if it is irreverent."

"I was just trying to think of a place that my Grandpa couldn't bother me."

They both laughed as they thought of the short old man trying to climb up there. But as the laughter died, Akira spoke up. "He's worried, you know. He didn't say anything, but it's obvious."

"I know," Raye sighed. "He just doesn't understand though."

"Understand _what_?" Akira looked a little bashful after he blurted that out.

Raye's attention was on playing with a loose string in the blanket. It took her a long while to form her words, but when she did, she looked over at Akira with tears stinging her eyes. "Look, I hate my dad. My grandpa hates my dad. And the man deserves it—every bit of it. It's just…my hatred…it's not always as easy as it is for Grandpa."

Akira pondered on that for a moment. "_Well_, he is your father."

"Don't say that," Raye looked away.

"It's true though," Akira said. "I think children will always long for their parents. They will always want love and acceptance from the ones who gave them life. That's a mysterious connection that is impossible to understand."

Raye bit her lip. "Why do I have to feel this way?"

"Because you're human."

"What he did—it's inexcusable!" Raye instantly flooded with anger. "He abandoned my mother when she needed him the most. He…he…" She could not finish that sentence without coming to tears. "I should hate him, but it's not always that easy."

"I can understand that."

They were quiet again for a few minutes. When she calmed down a bit, she turned to him. "Akira, can I ask you a personal question?"

He broke his concentration on the horizon and looked over. "Sure."

"Your parents," She began. "Do you know…?" She trailed off, embarrassed to ask.

"No," He said, shaking his head.

"Nothing?" She said in disbelief. "Nothing at all?"

Akira looked back towards the horizon. "I was found on the steps of the haiden hall by my Master. That's all I know."

"Did they leave anything? A note? Some money? Anything?"

Akira thought about the sword—the black and gold katana that rested under his bed at that very moment. It was the only thing found with him when Master Ichiro discovered him as a baby at the Tsukiyama Shrine eighteen years ago. There was no explanation as to why he was found with a sword, but it was the only thing he had from his birth parents. Often he had wondered if his birth parents left it as a form of payment. That sword—ornate, beautiful, sharp, pristine—could fetch a terrific price on any antique market. Master Ichiro never once suggested selling it though. That was just the kind of man Ichiro was. "There wasn't a note or money," was all Akira could say. Speaking about the sword felt too raw—too personal—even with her. Only he, Master Ichiro, and perhaps his birth parents knew about that sword.

"I'm sorry," Raye said. "Here I am blubbering on about my dad. You've had it much harder than I ever did."

"I wouldn't say that's true," He said. "Sometimes ignorance is bliss."

"How so?" She turned to him, interested in his answer.

"Well," Akira said. "It could have been anything. Maybe they were good people who had a really good reason for doing what they did. Maybe not, but maybe so." He looked at her again. "Things sound pretty rough with your dad and you know that. At least in my case, there's hope that it's not something terrible."

"I guess that makes sense," She said. "But I think not knowing would make me crazy."

He shrugged. "I suppose I just learned to live with it." He looked up at the half-moon. "Now can I ask you a personal question?"

"Why do I hate my dad so much?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Well, as far back as I can remember, things were always like that." Instantly memories of being dragged all over Japan and East Asia for her father's political campaigns filled her mind. She hated being dressed up like a doll almost every night and having the expectation to be perfect placed upon her tiny shoulders. Mingled with insincerity and false-flattery, Takeshi Hino ascended high into the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. All life seemed to consist of was her father working too much to notice her, her father flirting with other women at parties, and then him screaming at her and her mother every night when he was stressed. She recounted all these memories to Akira as they sat upon the roof. "Then one summer, when I was eleven, we found out my mother had cancer."

Akira continued to listen attentively.

"She died that winter. Her death—it was slow. Painful, even. And my father, he was too busy with the campaign. He didn't even bother to come see her. She died, and he never once came to see her."

"Then what happened?"

"He told me that I was supposed to live with my grandfather. He was too busy to take care of me so he dumped me off here. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it happened that way, but it…"

"It wasn't_ really_ what you wanted to happen," Akira finished when she paused. "You wanted him to straighten out and be a good parent."

She only nodded.

"How often does he keep in touch with you?"

"Once a year—on my birthday. That's usually about it. Perhaps a holiday every once in a while."

"So, what did he want today?"

"He said he wanted to spend more time with me. He said he was sorry for not keeping in touch more, and that he'd try better from now on."

"Isn't that good?"

Raye shrugged. "I don't know." He shook her head bitterly for a moment. "I will never understand why my mother married him. Sometimes I just…"

"What?" He encouraged her to continue.

"Sometimes I feel angry at her too. I loved her so much and I always will, but sometimes I just feel so angry."

Akira nodded.

They sat quiet again before Raye shivered. "Geez, it's cold!"

"Well," Akira said. "You've been up here half the night."

Raye nodded in agreement. She looked over at him one last time. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Listening," She said. "And the hot chocolate," She held up the canister. "And the blanket." She slowly stood up from her sitting position and stretched. "You're just really easy to talk to."

He stood up and stretched as well. "Well, you know." He smirked. "I'm awesome."

Her soft violet eyes locked with his ocean blue eyes for a moment. "Yes, you are," accidently rolled off her tongue. She went a hundred shades of red despite the fact that it was cold.

"We should get inside," He said, looking away.

"Okay," she said. They walked to the other side of the roof and helped each other climb down. "You know," She said as they reached the ground.

"What?"

"You didn't even call me Princess once tonight."

"What was that, Princess?" He acted like he didn't hear her.

"Oh, you're such a jerk!" She purposely bumped her shoulder into him as they walked back to the house.


	16. Looking for Trouble

**Episode Sixteen**

**Looking for Trouble**

It was a normal day after school, but it was anything but normal for them. Today, they planned to meet Sailor Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn at the Crown Fruit Parlor. Hopefully, the seven of them could formulate a plan to get Ami back from their enemies.

The four inner Sailors awaited the arrival of their friends in one of the booths of the restaurant. Raye sat, leaning way back into the booth with her arms crossed over her stomach. Mina, by contrast, sat straight up, bouncing anxiously on the plush seat. Lita sat occupied with her terrible habit of biting her nails when she was upset while Serena found many tempting items on the menu to comfort herself with. It was nothing short of tense as they sat there quietly waiting.

The door chimed, but it was not for whom they were waiting. Instead, a group of guys wearing the same uniforms as Serena, Lita, and Mina's school came into the snack shop. Among their ranks, Akira walked with them as they were talking about something excitedly. He nodded in their direction when he saw them and went to another booth to sit with his friends.

It wasn't much later when the doorbell chimed again. This time, it was whom they were expecting. In the doorway stood a tall, lithe, and strong blonde haired figure dressed in a sharp jacket, jeans, and dress shirt. Michelle, looking radiant in a red dress, looked over and saw them. The younger girl with them was dressed in a soccer kit and carried her cleats with her. They headed over to the booth to join the inner scouts.

"I see you've ordered," Amara said, looking at all of Serena's food. She smirked as she watched Serena's arms raise up to protect her bounty. Amara then looked back and motioned for Michelle and Hotaru to climb in the booth first.

Mina and Lita scooted over to let the three newcomers into the booth.

The waitress came over immediately. "Can I get you anything?"

"A cappuccino for me," Amara said.

Michelle nodded. "That sounds lovely. I will have that as well."

"Me too," Hotaru chimed in.

Michelle and Amara instantly turned their heads towards Hotaru with disapproving looks.

Hotaru sighed. "Apple juice."

The waitress finished writing down the orders. "Alright then. I'll have those drinks out to you in a few minutes." She walked away.

They were aware of the story—Ami was captured and taken to the Negaverse by that General Draco. they needed now was a plan or a strategy to get Ami back. It was just too bad though—the one good at strategies and plans was the one they needed to save.

Amara primly put her folded hands on the table. "At this point in time, considering that there is no resource that could be of help to us, I believe we need to go on the offensive."

"How do we do that?" Mina continued to bounce nervously in her seat.

"We need to be searching for those Generals. They could attack at any moment, and we need to be there."

"Of course," Lita said. "We need to stop whatever it is that they are doing."

"It's more than that," Amara said. "We need to confront them."

Michelle spoke up as confused looks washed over the inner sailors' faces. "As far as we know, there are only three of them. There are seven of us plus Tuxedo Mask."

"And Tuxedo Samurai might even show up to help," Serena added.

Amara nodded in agreement. "That is a possibility. Although, we cannot count on his support since we do not know exactly where his allegiance lies."

Raye frowned.

Michelle continued. "With our superior numbers, we can overwhelm them. It is possible that we can take one of them hostage and force an exchange."

"Hostage?" Raye questioned. "Where would we keep a hostage?"

"How about your house?" Serena suggested.

Raye sat up straight in her seat. "You always volunteer my house without asking, Serena! One of these days, Grandpa is going to walk in on the wrong thing!"

"He hasn't yet! And it's not like he could see it anyway since he's so blind!"

"The hostage will obviously have to stay at our house," Hotaru said, wisely—much too mature for someone—well, who looked her age. The others only blinked for a moment as they looked at the young girl sitting in the large booth.

"How are we supposed to get a hostage then? And which one are we going to take? I hope it's not that annoying pink-haired girl!" Mina said.

"We will have to take the one that is easiest to capture," Michelle said. "Pink-haired girl or not," She winked at Mina.

The waitress came back with the drinks. Everyone immediately shut their mouths and fell silent. She passed out the drinks and walked away.

Hotaru looked bright eyed as she clasped her hands around Michelle's coffee cup; however, the ocean-haired girl grabbed ahold of the small hands and pried them off the cup.

Amara took a swig of cappuccino and wiped the foam from her lip before speaking. "We go out looking for them. We patrol the city and when one of us finds them, we contact everyone else. We outnumber our opponents and take one of them with us."

"When do we start?" Lita asked.

"Tonight," Amara smirked, leaning forward.

The Sailors soaked that in for a moment.

"Tonight?" Raye grimaced, after thinking about it for a moment.

"What's the problem?" Amara asked.

Raye slapped her hand against her forehead in grief. "It's my chore night tonight. Between homework and chores, I'll be up until eleven o'clock tonight."

"We need you," Amara said. "This plan is only going to work if we have the strength of our numbers."

"I know," Raye immediately looked stressed. "You just have no idea how much trouble I'm going to be in if I neglect my chores or my schoolwork."

"Hey," Lita perked up. "I've got an idea. Why don't you ask Akira to do your chores?"

"What?" Raye raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Serena said. "That's a great idea."

Raye crossed her arms over her chest. "No, it's not."

"Who's Akira?" Michelle asked.

"Oh." A playful grin appeared on Mina's face. She nonchalantly pointed over to the booth across the room. "He's the cute blonde over there with that group of guys."

Michelle causally turned her head for a moment, acting as if she was just glancing at the decorum of the café. "Oh, he is quite the handsome one," She smirked, looking in Amara's direction.

"What does this have to do with _anything_?" Amara huffed.

Mina leaned in closer, as if it was a secret. "You see, that cutie over there works at Raye's Shrine. They take turns doing the chores. All she's got to do is ask him to do the chores for her tonight."

"You're forgetting one major detail." Raye tapped her fingers on the table, annoyed.

"What's that?" Mina asked.

"Why on Earth would he agree to do my chores for me?" Raye snapped. That should have been obvious, but it wasn't to her clueless friends.

"Oh, I'd think he'd do it." Lita smirked and gave her friend an elbow. "Personally, I think the guy's kind of sweet on you."

Raye's face went red. "No, it's not like that! He works for my grandfather, for goodness sake! Nothing is going on!"

Michelle giggled at Raye's reaction. "Perhaps you should rectify that?"

Mina nodded in agreement. "If I wasn't so involved with Shin Honda, I'd definitely be moving in on him."

Raye looked over at her blonde friend for a moment. Why did she feel like punching her in the face all the sudden?

"Wait a minute! You're_ involved_? With Shin Honda?" Lita asked. "What does that mean?"

"Well," Mina sat up straight. "I dropped my books in art class, and he specifically stopped to help me pick them up."

"So?" Everyone replied.

Mina rolled her eyes, as if it was obvious. "We had great eye contact! You just wait, Shin is going to say '_hello_' any day now."

"Well, Raye, I don't think you have any choice." Serena turned to her friend. "You're going to have to ask Akira to help you."

Raye closed her eyes and sighed. She knew Serena was right. She stood up and waited for her friends to move so she could get out of the booth. She took a deep breath and walked across the café to the table with five conversing boys.

When the boys noticed her, they all fell silent—perhaps a little dazed by the fact that a girl approached them. Akira looked up in her in concern while the others seemed a bit confused at first. They realized quickly enough that Akira and this girl knew one another.

"May I talk to you?" Raye said to him.

"Yeah, sure." Akira nodded.

Immediately, the boys started making "oooh" and "aahhh" sounds as they shifted in their seats to let Akira out of the booth. He shot them dirty looks as he passed by them. Soon, he was free from the booth.

Raye walked away from the booth, showing that she wanted the conversation to be private. He followed her away from the table. When she found a place in the middle of the restaurant, she turned to him. "I need a favor."

"Sure, Princess. What is it?"

"Don't agree, yet," She said, raising her hand to him. "Not until you hear it."

"Okay." He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't have to commit any crimes, do I?"

"No, you don't have to commit any crimes," She sighed. "Is there any way possible that you could do my chores tonight? I can switch with one of your nights. It's just that something came up. It's really important."

Akira pondered for a moment and glanced back at the table of boys. They were being obnoxiously loud with their kissing noises and cat-calls. "What night do you want to switch?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll do anything you want…"

"_Anything, _Raye-hime?" He smirked.

"No!" She hissed, crossing her arms. "And don't call me that!"

Akira faintly laughed. "Alright, how about this: I'm supposed to scrub and wash the deck on Saturday. If you do that, I'll do your chores tonight."

"Deal!" They parted ways. She headed back over to friends and stood before them with her hands triumphantly on her hips. "It's on!"

* * *

Darkness surrounded him except for the faint glow that encircled him. He floated in the darkness of his cavern sitting in a lotus position, meditating—well, trying to meditate. Meditation was one of his only ways of escaping consciousness. A Negaverse General like him did not to resort to sleep to replenish his strength. Sometimes that was a curse. Sleep allowed the mind to escape—it allowed some peace. Orion, however, did not have the luxury anymore. His body and mind didn't grow tired anymore. He hadn't slept in years.

Instead of sleeping nightmares, he had visions that haunted his soul all during his waking hours. The particular one that he tried to escape from kept clawing at his memory night and day. It used to be only when he was around water, but now, it was all the time. There was something different about it though—something different than the usual images that haunted him for the past thousand years. There they were—his family. His mother was floating in front of him—peaceful, serene, dead. His two older sisters were there too—one on each of his mother's sides. They looked just as peaceful but lifeless. He was drowning, gasping for air, desperate to save them. He was powerless. He could not. Darkness was closing all around him.

And then she came. The Sailor in blue broke through the darkness and reached out her hand to him. Their hands joined. She pulled him into the light.

Orion opened his eyes, gasping for air as if he were drowning. There was no water in his private abode, but the visions that haunted him felt so real—even causing him to gasp for air. Meditation would be impossible today. He stretched out his legs and touched them to the ground. The energy bubble produced during his floating exercise disappeared. He closed his strained eyes for a moment and listened to the nothingness of the cave. He then disappeared.

He reappeared before her cell. The prison cell that the two Sailors were kept in was behind a large metal wall. Nobody was the wiser if he teleported into that isolated section of the prison. She, however, heard the faint popping sound that accompanied teleportation. Ami rose from her sleeping position next to Trista and walked over to the cold metal bars of the cell. "What are you doing here?" Still her voice was harsh.

Orion ignored her tone. He took a step closer to the bars. "How is your friend?"

Ami looked back at Trista. "A little better but still very weak." She turned back to Orion. "She needs medical attention." She grasped ahold of the bars and looked down at her feet. "I'm afraid she might die in here."

"You said she was a little better…"

"She needs medicine, a proper diet…" Ami started to get flustered. "…she needs…sunlight!" Ami stopped herself from ranting and sighed.

"I understand."

Ami looked up at the purple haired man that stood on the other side of the bars. A mixture of emotions swirled within those ocean blue eyes—fear, anger, hurt, disappointment. "Don't…"

He cocked his head to the side. "_Don't_ what?"

Ami shook her head. "Don't pretend you feel sorry for us. We're in here because of you—because you choose to serve Beryl." Her eyes started to well with tears. "I don't think I can stand any more false motives or compassion."

He understood some of what she was talking about. It was true—she was in here because of the Negaverse and he was aligned with them. There was intense emotion, even passion, in her voice—that was something that he could not understand.

The confusion was obvious on his face so she enlightened him. "You attended our school, lied about who you are, tried to befriend us—and might I just say you did a terrible job of it—and then you attacked us!" She looked at him, incredulously. "All I thought I knew about you is a lie, and what I do know about you now is terrible!"

"Not everything was a lie," He said quietly. Orion always hated lies for as long as he could remember. Now, here he had to explain the lies he created. He sighed and looked at her, defeated. "My name really is Orion."

Now she started to feel embarrassed. That was Ami though. The fact that she made someone uncomfortable and feel ashamed—even if that someone was her enemy—made her feel upset with herself. "I'm sorry," She was all she could manage to say.

Orion kept his head down, his purple bangs covering his eyes. "No you're right. Many of the things you know about me were a lie. I had to create an identity so that I could infiltrate your school."

"Why were you there?" Ami looked a little stunned that he admitted something like that. However, if the enemy was going to talk, she wasn't going to let an opportunity like that pass by. Something pulled at her on the inside though—would she ever see her friends again to relay this information?

"As you are aware," Orion said. "Queen Beryl desires to locate the Moon Prince. From what we know of the Moon Prince, his demographics match those of a 16-25 year old male."

"That's all you have to find him?" Ami almost laughed.

"Tell me about it," Orion rolled his eyes. He pulled a stone out from his pocket. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a moonstone—although, I am unaware of its magical properties."

Orion nodded in agreement. "It has the power to reveal the true nature of those who are of the royal family of the Moon Kingdom."

"So," Ami concluded. "You've been testing random candidates to see if one of them is the reborn Moon Prince?"

"_Extremely_ random," Orion said, almost spitefully. "I infiltrated your school to observe possible candidates."

"Who is the Moon Prince? Why is he so important to your cause?"

"I can answer that," A weak voice spoke up.

Ami instantly spun around. "Trista!" She rushed to her friend's side and helped the woman sit up against the wall.

Orion approached closer to the cell bars. "You know of the Moon Prince?"

"Not exactly in the way you desire," Trista said.

Orion instantly understood, but Ami did not. She looked back and forth between the two trying to piece the puzzle together, but she was missing key points of information.

"The Moon Prince was the second heir of Queen Serenity, twin brother to Princess Serenity, General of the Moon Kingdom's Armies, and the Moon's Greatest Champion," Trista said.

Ami blinked. That was a part of the history that she never heard before. "Princess Serenity has a brother? Then why haven't we ever heard of him before? Why is Serenity destined to rule Crystal Tokyo and not him?"

Trista continued. "The Princess Serenity was born first while Prince Lír was second. Male or female mattered little in the Silver Millennium's succession. Princess Serenity was heir to the throne while Prince Lír supported her as General, Champion, and Advisor."

"Where is he now?" Ami asked. "He could help us!"

Trista shook his head. "Nobody knows that. Presumably he was reborn on Earth, like all of you, but he hasn't awakened yet."

Ami turned towards Orion's direction. "Why does Beryl want him?"

"She had vision—by means of Pluto's staff," He nodded towards Trista. "I didn't see the vision myself, but she's obsessed with it. She said that the Moon Prince is the key to ending her plans."

"And you've been looking around in the dark trying to find him," Trista said, with a tired smirk.

"That's about right" Orion said.

"Trista," Ami said. "You shouldn't strain yourself." She turned back and looked at Orion. "Why are you telling us these things?"

Orion was quiet for a moment, contemplating the look on her face—the way her beautiful eyes stared at him, the way her brow furrowed with curiosity and frustration, the way her ocean blue hair framed her soft skin. "You deserved to know the truth." He disappeared right before her eyes.

She stared at the place he was just moments ago as she kneeled next to Trista. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she tore her eyes away from that place. "Yes?" She forced a smile for her friend.

"We have many things to discuss now."

Ami nodded in agreement. She let Trista sit up more, amazed that the transformation in her friend's condition. She tucked the blanket, the blanket Orion gave her, tighter against Trista's body and sat down next to her friend.

* * *

The eight of them met at the designated location—Ueno Park. All seven Sailor Scouts were present and Tuxedo Mask joined them as well. It was agreed upon that teams of two would be formed and the four teams would disperse to the four winds.

"Excellent," Sailor Neptune said, noticing everyone in attendance.

"Now for groups," Uranus said.

"I'll be with Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon instantly took ahold of her boyfriend's arm.

"That's probably not a good idea," Sailor Jupiter crossed her arms.

"Why not?" Sailor Moon pouted.

Venus smirked. "You two will probably spend more time gazing into each other's eyes than looking for trouble."

"She's right," Uranus said. "Odango, you go with Jupiter."

"Then you're not going with Neptune!" Sailor Moon put her hands on her hips.

Uranus bit her lip. That backfired. "Fine! Sailor Saturn will come with me."

"Venus, you can pair with me," Neptune said sweetly.

Sailor Mars cringed before anyone had to say it.

"Alright, that leaves Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mars." Uranus said. She waited for the groups to pair off before she spoke again. "Neptune and Venus, you go north towards the Ginza area. Sailor Jupiter and Odango, you can go west towards Shibuya. Tuxedo Mask and Mars, head east towards the bay. Saturn and I will look south."

The groups agreed and took off into the night.

* * *

The Odaiba waterfront was beautiful. The Rainbow Bridge that came out of Minato glowed brightly in the darkness of the night. On that peaceful and warm night, couples held hands and whispered lovingly into each other's ears. Some families strolled along the bay enjoying the night air as well.

Lyra stared at the pink clouds that formed in the spinning machines. It had an uncanny resemblance to her hair. After watching a few customers purchase the treat and watching them eat it as they walked away, Lyra stole a bag of it when the vendor wasn't looking. She walked away and tore a hole in the bag. She didn't need to eat—at least since she was recruited into the Negaverse ranks—but curiosity got the best of her from time to time in the mortal world. After all, those pastry things smelled amazing. This pink cloud substance was no different. She sighed contently as she walked along the bay with the delicious treat.

There were an awful lot of couples. She couldn't help but notice that, and she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at every female she saw with an attractive male. She walked over to a looking point and gazed over the bay. It was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the sight when she turned her head to the right.

The young man standing there was neatly dressed with dark hair. Within seconds, Lyra had moved from her position right next to him. "Beautiful night out, isn't it?"

He jumped, a little startled. "Oh, I didn't see you there."

Lyra batted her eyelashes and faintly laughed. "I was just admiring the view."

The man nodded. "Yes, the bay is beautiful."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about the bay." She winked at him.

The man cleared his throat while reached up to tug at his shirt collar. "Ah, well, I…uh…"

"What's your name…" Lyra began.

"Daisuke!" A young woman walked up with two ice cream cones in her hand. She handed one of the cones to the man then looked over at Lyra. "Daisuke, who's this?"

The man bit his lip. "Well, I don't know…she…"

Lyra stepped forward. "I'm his girlfriend."

Daisuke dropped his ice cream and threw up his hands in protest.

The girl gasped. "Daisuke! What is the meaning of this?" She looked back and forth between her boyfriend and Lyra.

Daisuke frantically shook his head. "I don't even know her!"

"Oh Daisuke, how could you say that?" Lyra's eyes instantly welled up with fake tears. "After all the special moments we shared together!"

"I don't believe this!" The woman slammed her ice cream cone into Daisuke's chest and ran away.

"Yuuka! No! Please!" Daisuke ran off, but not before he shot a furious look in Lyra's direction.

Lyra only smiled as she watched the couple run away from the crowd. She had a target.

* * *

Sometimes she thought she had the worst luck in the world. Out of all the possible combinations, she had to be paired with Tuxedo Mask. As instructed, she and Tuxedo Mask moved east towards Tokyo Bay.

Tuxedo Mask stood quite a few meters away from her watching the north end of their position. She was watching the south. At that moment, however, she was looking back towards the masked man as his cape fluttered in the gentle wind.

She couldn't help but think of the other man in the Tuxedo when she looked at him. There were two of them—Tuxedo Mask and Tuxedo Samurai. Before she knew that though, she was terrified of the implications of her nightly dreams. Now, she knew differently.

She turned back towards the south. Despite it all, she found a smirk growing on her face. Memories of the other masked man filled her mind—the moment he saved her from dying, the moment he guarded her from blazing fire, the moment they kissed on the rooftops of Tokyo. She looked back over her shoulder. She didn't know what role the masked newcomer would play in her life, but the mystery of the future was much more hopeful than the disappointment of the past.

And then a scream interrupted her thoughts. Instantly, she spun around, giving Tuxedo Mask a look of concern. His face held the same expression. They took off without a word. Along the way, Sailor Mars reached for her communicator and pressed a button to alert the other sailors.

The pier cleared out fast due to the screams. At the source, of course, was an unusual pink-haired woman using strange magical powers—that would make most people run; however, there was another girl there.

"You leave him alone, you crazy woman!"

"Yuuka, no….." Daisuke said, losing his strength. The white light of Lyra's crystal drained his energy.

Suddenly, Lyra was hit in the side of the head with a shoe. She dropped the crystal on the ground. The light that emanated from it died down. The magical hold on Daisuke also broke, giving him the freedom to move again. He stumbled for a moment but tried his hardest to move towards Lyra.

Lyra rubbed the side of her head. "That hurt!" She moaned. She whined for a few more moments as the couple huddled together before she decided to go on the offensive. "You're going to pay for that!"

But as she took a step towards the couple, a rose struck the ground at her feet.

"This place is a haven for love and beauty, but you have turned it into something ugly. Couples come here to celebrate their affections, not to be attacked by the likes of you!"

Lyra stared up at Tuxedo Mask with her head cocked to the side. "Is this your strange way of asking me on date? If it is, I accept."

"What?" The masked man scratched his head.

She knew this wasn't funny, but Sailor Mars turned her head and quietly laughed anyway.

Lyra frowned. "So, you're here to fight then?" She pouted her red lips and sighed disappointed. "Fine, I'll just have to kill you instead."

"We are here to fight," Tuxedo Mask said. He looked towards the couple. "And I suggest that you two get out of here."

Daisuke nodded. "Right." He and Yuuka locked hands and ran away from the pier. Yuuka hobbled with only one shoe, but they managed to get away safely. There were now only three people left.

"Ohhh," Lyra moaned, watching Daisuke run away. "He might have been the Moon Prince!" She sighed deeply. "And he was sooo cute!"

"You might as well give up on the idea of finding the Moon Prince," Sailor Mars said. "He probably doesn't even exist."

"What would you know," Lyra said snidely. "We've got things to tell us otherwise—things you don't have."

"Like what?" Tuxedo Mask's curiosity perked up.

Draco appeared right before them at Lyra's side. "Don't answer that!"

"I wasn't going to!"

Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mars both cringed. This fight just got a lot more serious. Hopefully, they could hold out until some of the other Sailors could arrive. On the contrary, Draco looked extremely pleased with the moment. Well, the odds were in his favor.

Draco nodded at Lyra. She responded with a nod. She clasped her hands together then slowly pulled them apart. A silver mirror formed in her hands. Instead of using it to attack however, she began checking her the back of her hair.

"Lyra," Draco growled a few moments later. "What are you doing?"

She kept at it for a few more seconds. When she was satisfied, she lowered it and looked over at Draco. "Okay, I'm ready."

Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mars exchanged awkward glances.

Impatiently, Draco ignited his hands into flames and began the assault. He charged first towards Sailor Mars. Perhaps this could be his chance to capture her and please his Queen. The Sailor was ready however.

There had always been something of a vendetta between the two of them. Well, the first time they met, Draco had brought Sailor Mars to death's door. That was not something easy to forget. And then there were more encounters between the two. Draco earned a few wounds himself during those encounters—mainly at the hands of Tuxedo Samurai trying to protect Sailor Mars.

So when Draco attacked, Sailor Mars was ready. The punches he threw at her, she skillfully blocked. Her strength was growing, but soon, his strength began to overpower.

Draco was nothing short of a powerhouse—a blazing furnace that consumed everything in its path. Sheer unrequited fury would overcome his opponents as his fiery fists would fly. Soon, his fist flew into her face.

She shrieked, stumbling back. She felt blood instantly trickle down her face and past her chin to her uniform. Luckily, magic was good at getting stains out. She reached up and wiped her nose while keeping an eye on Draco. His hands were still cackling with fire. Round two began shortly after.

Lyra was an unusual opponent to fight. Her strength did not lay in physical confrontation, but that did not mean she wasn't powerful. It was quite the contrary. The waving of her mirror, the batting of her eyelashes, or the humming of her sweet voice could bring an opponent to his or her knees.

He had to be careful. Tuxedo Mask continually kept his guard up when confronting her. Her powers were definitely more potent on men, but nevertheless, still quite effective on women as well. Every time he'd try to get close for an attack, she'd wave her magic mirror and send a gust of strong wind his way. It was like her own personal zephyr at her command. By the fourth time getting blown away by a stupid mirror, Tuxedo Mask was furious. He charged forward with his cane in a maddened frenzy.

Lyra only gave one flick of her wrist, and Tuxedo Mask went flying again. This time, he went flying straight into Sailor Mars. The two of them landed in a tangled heap.

"You're crushing my arm," Sailor Mars moaned, her lips scraping against the pavement.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Tuxedo Mask tried to stand and regain his balance, but he lost it and fell right back down on Raye again.

She groaned as his weigh came crashing back down on her sore legs.

"Sorry!" Tuxedo Mask winced.

"Just get off me!"

"What's going on here?"

Sailor Mars' eyes flew wide open. She knew that voice. Quickly, she shoved Tuxedo Mask off of her and sprang up like a daisy. There he was approaching with his sword drawn for battle—Tuxedo Samurai. Suddenly, she noticed it. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest like a drum. She didn't want him to see her all tangled up with Tuxedo Mask. The thought brought a deep shade of embarrassed red across her cheeks. Why—she asked herself.

"This doesn't concern you!" Draco raised a fist towards Tuxedo Samurai.

The Samurai ignored that typical response from Draco and instead turned his attention to his allies. Tuxedo Mask finally managed to get himself off the ground and was now brushing the dust off his clothing. Tuxedo Samurai looked him and Sailor Mars over for a moment, checking to see if they were harmed. They were not so he turned his attention to the Negaverse Generals.

It was like a staring contest for a few moments. All was quiet until the sound of footsteps against the pavements came to their attention. Draco and Lyra turned around. They were about to be surrounded by more approaching Sailor scouts. With only two of them, this would not be the time for an attack. They disappeared from the site.

Sailor Uranus reached the scene first. She leaned forward and put her hands over her knees while she breathed heavily from her run. "Damn it!"

It took the other sailors a few more moments to reach the scene. Sailor Jupiter looked around and sighed. "Well, that was a bust."

"I thought it was going to work," Sailor Mars said. "At first, it was just her."

Tuxedo Mask nodded. "That's right. She was alone, but then Draco showed up."

Sailor Jupiter crossed her arms over her chest. "I think we're just going to have to face reality. They're probably never going to be alone, and this is going to be a lot harder than we thought."

"For as dumb as they look," Sailor Venus said. "You wouldn't think they'd be so clever."

Sailor Neptune smirked at that. "Still holding a grudge, are we?"

"Ah, no," Venus put her hands on her hips.

Sailor Moon stepped away from the crowd—her attention was elsewhere. She looked up at the bright moon and clasped her hands together.

The conversation died. Everyone turned his or her attention to the Princess looking at the moon. Sailor moon closed her eyes as tears began to leak from them. "Please mother, if you can hear us, please help us find Ami."

Sailor Saturn came behind the princess and reached up to put a hand on the girl's arm. Sailor Moon turned back with a saddened smile. "I really hoped that this would work."

The other nodded, feeling the weight of their failed plans. They did not have a hostage to bargain with the Negaverse.

Sailor Mars pondered deeply, staring at her red high heels, for a moment until an idea struck her mind. Her head jerked up and she turned towards Tuxedo Samurai who was standing on the outskirts of the crowd. Acting before thinking, she walked straight up to him. Her hands came out, and they were instantly received into his. "You once told me that you would do anything to help. That if was in your power, you would do it, right?"

Tuxedo Samurai nodded. "Yes, I did."

"I need your help." She almost choked on her emotions. "We're trying to get our friend back, and we think we have a plan."

Tuxedo Samurai looked past Sailor Mars for a moment towards the other Sailors. They were watching closely. "You want to capture one of them—force an exchange."

"Yes, that's right." Tuxedo Mask nodded.

The mysterious Samurai pondered on that for a moment. "Do you think the Negaverse cares enough about its Generals to exchange a Sailor scout for one of them?"

Nobody thought of that.

"What choice do we have?" Sailor Jupiter failed her arms. "We've no other option."

"I know you don't," The Samurai said. "And that is why I will help you."

"Thank you!"

Tuxedo Samurai was instantly embraced in a hug by Sailor Mars. His arms came up around her, slowly relishing the feeling.

"Thank you," Sailor Mars repeated again. Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto his black jacket for her friend, Ami.


	17. The Return of Sailor Mercury

**Episode Seventeen**

**The Return of Sailor Mercury**

The Queen had returned from yet another ritual involving the aligned moonstones along with the centerpiece of Sailor Pluto's staff, and it was obvious by the look on her face that she did not receive the answers that she so desperately desired.

Constant failure plagued their efforts. Every attempt thus far brought them no closer to finding the Moon Prince. It only brought confrontation with the Sailor Scouts and their allies. The Queen sat silent for a long while, allowing these thoughts to ruminate within the minds of her generals.

Orion's thoughts, however, were far away from those concerns. He stood along with his fellow generals in his designated place, but his mind was elsewhere. It was so much elsewhere that he hadn't realized that Beryl started scolding them until she bolted out something particularly loud. He snapped back into reality and focused his attention on Beryl's speech.

"You're all not even worth the air you breathe or the space you take up!" She shouted at them. Perhaps it was better to tune out. "For weeks now I've demanded the Moon Prince to be brought to my feet, but you have done nothing!"

"My Queen, we are trying!" Lyra piped up, her voice frantic and scared. "There were so many problems with the Sailor…"

"Shut your worthless mouth!" Beryl shot up out of her throne and stretched forth her hand.

Lyra felt an invisible grip over her neck. Instantly, she lost the breath in her throat. Lyra reached up trying to stop the invisible grasp, but there was nothing there. Within seconds, she collapsed to her knees.

Nobody moved as the girl squirmed on the floor choking to death. Draco was too busy finding his shoes interesting at the moment. Aludra on the other hand struggled to suppress a smile.

Orion blinked. Could this really be happening? Yes, absolutely. He had watched many of his kind die at the hands of the Negaverse—first his family then those he served with in bondage. He had seen plenty die before all because they displeased their masters. Now, just as then, fear like fire raged through him.

Lyra reached out for help. Her hand, her eyes, came towards his direction. They locked eyes for a moment. The intensity of dying eyes shook him back to life. "My…my…Queen…" He stuttered. "…My Queen…" He managed to find his voice.

The Queen heard him. She released her magical grip on Lyra. The pink haired completely collapsed on the cold hard ground while gasping for life giving air. The Queen turned her threatening gaze towards Orion, expecting an explanation for the interruption.

He did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He kneeled down and bowed his head deeply to the Queen. "I swear to you on my life that I will bring you the Moon Prince. Please extend your great mercy and patience to me in this endeavor. I will need Lyra's powers for the up-coming battle."

The Queen rested her hands at her sides. "Amusing," She chuckled at the sight of Orion humiliating himself before her. She had never seen this man grovel before. If he wasn't so useful, she probably would have killed him a long time ago for his attitude, but the fact was, he was one of the most talented individuals the Negaverse possessed. "I assume that the consequences of failure are obvious."

"Yes, my Lady, they are."

The Queen returned to her throne, pacified—for now. She leaned back and lazily looked over her courtroom. She traced the intricate designs on the armrest of her throne with her finger. "How interesting it is, Orion."

Orion looked up. "My Queen?" Even he could not follow her train of thought.

She smirked. "You appeal to my…" Her smirk grew wider. "…_mercy_? _Patience_?" She laughed at him. "Do not assume that I have these qualities—such weak qualities." She looked straight at him. "You're only alive..." She turned her gaze to Lyra crumpled up the floor. "…she's only alive. _All _of you are only alive because you serve _my purposes_. The day you become useless to me is the day my supposed mercy and patience comes to an end."

"Yes, my Queen. I understand."

"Aludra," The Queen abruptly changed the subject.

"Yes, my Queen?" The woman with blue and silver hair stepped forward.

"I want you to prepare for an interrogation."

That was music to Aludra's ears. The shame of getting yelled at by Beryl evaporated with the prospect of using her twisted talents. "On whom, my Lady?"

Queen Beryl leaned forward. She touched the tips of her fingers together and flashed a devious smile that would make anyone's skin crawl. "It's time to torture Sailor Mercury."

Throbbing instantly pounded in Orion's ears. It suddenly became difficult to breathe. He too started to feel like Beryl choked him with her magical grip, but she did nothing of the such. He barely heard it when the Queen dismissed them from the courtroom. Somehow, as if on automatic pilot, he managed to stand up and walk of the courtroom. He couldn't get much farther before having to lean against the cold icy wall of one of the isolated corridors of the dark palace. His heart was pounding in his chest—a sensation that he hadn't felt—well, in who knows how long. As he stopped, he put his free hand over his aching chest. His brow furrowed in pain. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. The words she said kept echoing through his head, sending waves of nausea through his body.

It was moments like these that defined a person's life—the moment where a choice had to be made, and that choice would destroy everything previously held. He had seconds to make the most important decision of his life, and once he decided it, there was no return. His disappeared.

Moments later, he reappeared before the solid metal bars that held the girl in isolation. He closed his right fist tightly then slowly released it. Instead of forming a silver sword, he made a small and thin metal stick with a hook on the end. Immediately, he set to work on the cell door's lock.

The faint sound of clicking and metal scraping against metal woke her up. It didn't take much to awake her up—the squeak of a mouse, the heavy drop of melting ice, or any other mundane sound. It was too frigidly cold to sleep in that place. She rolled over and searched for the source of the strange noise. She saw the purple haired man kneeling before the door, concentrating on something important. She crawled out from under the blanket that was given to her, but before she stood up, she tucked the blanket around Trista.

As he worked on the lock, his tongue stuck out a little bit. Ami noticed as she approached, but scolded herself because her first thought was that it was rather cute. Finally, she got a good look at what he was doing when she approached. Still, she asked anyway, "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting you out of here." His voice was serious, and perhaps even panicked.

"You're what?" Ami looked around, instinctively afraid that someone might be watching.

"I said..," Orion began just before the lock clicked open. The door slowly swung open on its own. "…I'm getting you out of here." He quickly stood up and latched onto Ami's arm. He tried to pull her out of the cell, but she would have none of that.

"No!" Ami pulled her arm away. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" She stood for a moment, holding her arm to her chest—surprised at the forcefulness of her own reaction.

And there was that classic flash of annoyance that she was so used to seeing on his face at school. "What is the matter with you?" He snapped. "Don't you want to leave this hell hole?"

"Of course I do!" Ami snapped right back. "Just not with you!"

"Would you stop being so difficult and just go?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!"

He shook his head trying to hold back the rage, but it just poured out anyway. "They're going to torture you!"

She froze, speechless.

Perhaps he shouldn't have shouted at her. He sighed deeply and tried to calm his voice, but the girl was trying his patience. "Look, you wouldn't make it past the prison if you tried to escape on your own. Now, if you want to live, I suggest you come with me."

She knew when she had lost. "Fine," She said. "But I'm not leaving without Trista." She crossed her arms and stared at him, frightened but defiant.

Gods, she was unbelievable! Instead of getting angry though, he actually smirked and shook his head. It was things like this that intrigued him so much about her. "Fine," He said, defeated. "But she will greatly reduce our chances of actually getting out of here alive."

"That is a chance I'm willing to take," Ami said, still firm in her stance. "We also need our transformation devices—my pen and her staff."

"Are you crazy?!" Orion blurted it. "That staff is kept under constant surveillance! There are never any less than twenty guards watching the thing!"

"Then what about my pen?" She asked.

Orion bit his lip. That was a slim chance too, but it was much more a possibility than Sailor Pluto's staff would ever be.

"If I have my pen, then I'll be of much more use in combat if we are attacked."

She had a point there. He had a vague idea where Beryl kept it. "Alright, you get your friend ready to go. I'll make an attempt at getting the pen." He disappeared.

First, he reappeared in one of the side corridors to the throne room. Good—Beryl was still sitting on her throne and was involved with delegations. Quickly, he disappeared and reappeared in Queen Beryl's personal chambers.

He had only been in this place a handful of times during his servitude to Beryl. This room was always off limits even to him. Despite only having been invited in it a couple of times, he remembered the layout very well. His eyes scanned the room. Where would Beryl keep a trophy like that?

Goodness, she was so obvious. Resting on a dark stone dresser was a beautiful crystal box cut from the most exquisite diamonds found in the Negaverse. Quickly, he went to the box and took off the diamond lid. There it was—Sailor Mercury's pen.

Damn it! He could hear her voice, and it was growing louder. He shoved the box cover back on and disappeared.

Beryl stepped into the room. She was discussing some matter with a servant. She stopped and carefully looked around the room.

"My Queen?"

Beryl remained quiet, still continuing to look around. Shen then turned her attention back to the servant. "I want my bath prepared with rose oil and I want my hair to be perfumed with jasmine today." There was something unsettling about that moment.

"Yes, my lady."

* * *

"I am not going to leave you," Ami said barely above a whisper, while supporting her friend to stand on two feet. They had their arms wrapped around each other and their cheeks almost touching. "That is the Sailor oath I took."

"But…" Trista's brow furrowed while trying to find the strength to talk. "…I'll only slow you down."

"I don't care," Ami said. "I'm not leaving you to die here."

Orion reappeared before them. In his hand was the transformation pen. He held it out to her.

She took it while carefully managing to keep Trista supported. "Now what?"

"I can't teleport you to Earth. Cross-dimensional teleportation would likely kill her in her condition." Orion looked at Trista's pitiful state.

"What can we do then?"

"We will have to travel to one of the dimensional gate portals. They are much more stable for travel. Still, your friend might not make it."

"How do we get to one of those gates?"

"Our best chance is for me to teleport us near one."

"You said teleportation could kill her!"

"Cross-dimensional teleportation would kill her. If I keep it short and in the same dimension, she should be okay."

"He's right," Trista said.

Orion didn't wait to be asked. He put his hand on Ami's shoulder and the three of them disappeared.

They reappeared in a long dark jagged hallway. The walls were made of the same dark ice as the rest of the palace was. Ami didn't see any doors. "Where is it?"

Orion started to move forward. "It is guarded—usually by two guards. I'll have to clear the way first then we can use it."

"I understand," Ami said, as she helped Trista along. As the slowly moved through the corridor, Ami could help but notice the incredible anxiety that seemed to be affecting Orion. Sure, she had seen him moody and agitated before, but even those emotions had a detachment about them. This however was very different—he was afraid.

They moved in silence for a while, but he cleared his throat and broke it. "Listen," he said. "We're approaching the gate. I'm going to take care of the guards. If something should…" He stopped for a moment. "…happen, run to the gate. It'll take you to Tokyo. I'm sure you can find your way from there."

"Alright," She said, but she didn't understand. Why would two guards give a General like him any trouble?

Orion closed his eyes for a moment. This was not a pleasant feeling—waiting for it to happen. When would she find out? When would she know what he had done? How bad would the consequences be?

They finally reached the end of the hallway. Just around the left corner was the gate way to the Earth realm. It looked like a golden doorway without a door. Instead of a door, there was a pink light that glowed brightly in the dark cavern.

Orion motioned for them to stop. Once they were positioned, he disappeared. Quickly, he reappeared with a silver sword in his hand. Ruthlessly, he struck down the first guard as he reappeared. The second one stabbed before he could even draw his weapon. It was finished.

Ami came around the corner with Trista. Why did Orion seemed so concerned with these two guards when clearly he could dispatch them so easily? And yet, Orion still seemed incredibly flustered.

Orion pointed at the golden gate glowing with pink light. "This will take you to your realm."

"I still need your help," Ami said.

Orion looked away. "I don't know how much help I will be."

"Please," Ami struggled to hold Trista up.

Instead of answering, Orion came up and quickly scooped Trista into his arms. "Go first through the gate. I'll follow."

Ami nodded then walked towards the pink light.

* * *

They made it. They made it unscathed back to Tokyo. They appeared in the middle of small street, luckily in the middle of the night. After walking a few minutes, Ami was able to tell where they were. They were a long way from Azabu-Juuban, Ami's neighborhood. She sighed as she stared up at the subway map.

Orion came up behind her and looked at the map. He still had Trista in his arms, but within moments of their teleportation, she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Ami pointed to the section of the map where her home was. "We've got a long journey ahead of us," She said with a sigh.

Orion maneuvered his hand to touch Ami on the shoulder. In an instant, they were gone. Moments later, they reappeared on another street.

Ami turned her head back and forth in amazement. They were only a few minutes away from her apartment. "How did…"

"I've been here before," was all he said.

They headed towards the high rise apartment in the near distance.

Luckily, it was the middle of the night. It might have looked strange since they were carrying what appeared to be a lifeless body around. They took the elevator up to the seventh floor. Ami led them to apartment 702 and lifted up the lock to enter the code.

The apartment was cold, dark, and empty. Nobody had been there for a few weeks now. Her mother was still in Africa, and of course, she had her own little detour to the Negaverse. The first thing she did was slip off her shoes. She then turned on as many lights as she could in the living room. The warm soft light of her apartment was so comforting after squinting in the darkness of the Negaverse for weeks now. She wrapped her arms around herself. It was good to be home.

Orion kicked the door closed behind him. He looked around, noting even the littlest of details—he had never been in a house on Earth before.

She snapped out of her daze, remembering that Orion was with her, and he was still carrying Trista in his arms. "Oh," She said. "Follow me."

She led the way through the house, flipping on lights as she went. She opened the doorway at the end of the hallway.

It was neat and orderly—just the way she left it. The soft white bedspread was still perfect set. All the books in her massive library were on the shelves. Even the smell of her vanilla incense still lingered in the room.

Ami motioned her hand towards the bed. Orion took his cue and laid Trista down over the white quilt. He backed away so Ami could pull out the covers and tuck Trista in.

"What is this place?" Orion's eyes darted back and forth.

Ami froze, but not before her eyes bulged out of her sockets and her cheeks flushed red like the sunset. There was a man—in her bedroom. "Um…well…" Goodness, it was starting to feel too warm in there. "…it's my room."

He was satisfied with that answer, but he continued to inspect everything that was of interested to him.

Thank goodness all the laundry was put away. She couldn't even imagine if the wrong articles of clothing would have been sitting out, and yet, he didn't seem to notice that this was a socially awkward moment. She stared at him for a moment—he still seemed incredibly agitated. "Are you alright?" She finally asked.

He looked over at her, but he didn't answer. He only nodded and quickly looked away.

He was lying. But what about? Perhaps another time. She had even more important things to worry about at the moment. She left the bedroom and headed straight to the kitchen. She knew that her mother kept protein formula somewhere, but where? She started sacrilegiously rummaging through the cupboards until she found what she wanted. Excellent—there was plenty.

Orion into the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

Ami was already at work digging the blender out from the cupboard. "I'm going to make a protein shake. I don't think solid food will be good for Trista right now."

Orion agreed with a slight nod.

Ami was now in the refrigerator looking for some yogurt to add to the shake. "You're not looking well yourself," She said, trying to open up the conversation. "Are you hungry?"

He didn't intend to, but he laughed.

She pulled her head out of the fridge and looked at him. "What is it?"

He shook his head, still smirking. "It's a long story."

"We've got the time," She said.

"No, you don't understand, Mizuno-san," He said, looking as if he might laugh or cry—she couldn't decide.

"What do you mean?" Not many things stumped Ami Mizuno, but this time, she was absolutely puzzled.

"Never…" Just as he was about to end the conversation, he fell to his knees. It was happening, and it was worse that he imagined. It felt like metal being branded into his skin, but it was much deeper and much more painful than that. It was as if something inside had been branded, seared, and cut off from everything he had ever known. The intense pain caused him to instantly collapse on the kitchen floor while he screamed out in pain.

"Orion!" Ami dropped the yogurt all over the floor. "Orion! Orion! What's happening? What's wrong?" She wasn't sure whether to touch him or not—would it cause him pain? She took the risk and gently placed her hands on his shoulder and arm. She leaned over him, trying to get a glimpse of his face. "Orion!"

As suddenly as the pain came on, the pain went away. However, he was left like a shell of a man lying on the kitchen floor. Everything fiber of his being stung with pain. He had no strength to move. His limbs felt like foreign entities to him. His vision blurred with tears, and his ears were filled with only a dull roar.

When his senses started to come back into focus, he could see Ami's face hovering over him, shouting at him. It was difficult to make out what she was shouting. She was frightened. Tears were coming down her face.

"Orion! Orion!" She kept shouting.

This time he heard it. He blinked back the tears.

"What happened? What's wrong with you?"

"She knows," He managed to find his voice, but it was unnatural—weak and rough.

"Who knows?" Ami was too panicked to think properly.

"Beryl—she knows."

"Come on, let's sit you up." She tried to help Orion into a sitting position, but even the slightest of moments gave him pain. He fought through it though and came up to a sitting position.

"I don't understand. What happened to you? What does Beryl have to do with it?"

Orion closed his eyes. Gods, they ached so badly, and his head pounded like a drum. "My abilities have been enhanced by the Negaverse. They have been shaped and molded for hundreds of years. The powers and abilities of the Negaverse…" He had to stop for a moment. It was difficult to speak. "…they've become intertwined with my being."

"So what happened to you?"

"She took them away—cut me off from everything I've known." Orion said.

"You knew this would happen?" She asked, astounded.

"Yes," He breathed, raggedly. "Admittedly, the outcome was a little different than I anticipated."

"How so?"

He didn't seem to want to answer that question, but she continued on with her persistent look.

"I thought it would kill me."

Ami stared at him for a moment with no words. That's why he was so agitated; he was waiting for this moment. He thought he was going to die. "Why?" was all that came out of her mouth moments later.

He knew exactly what she was asking—_why would you risk your life? _He really didn't feel like being bothered with a question like that, and he made it obvious by the look on his face. So instead, she encouraged him to stand up so she could take him to lie down in another room. She pulled his arm around her neck and slowly led him into her mother's bedroom. She helped him lay down. Within seconds, he passed out.

* * *

Goodness, what a night, she thought to herself. She stood in the shower, letting the hot water slap against her bare skin. It felt so good to be clean. It was more than just washing away the dirt and grime that she acquired in the Negaverse; it was as if she was washing away the whole bad experience. She figured she better not linger any longer. She got out of the shower, dried herself off, and put on some fresh clothes.

Ami stepped out of the bathroom. Now, it was time for her to rest. Trista was in her bed so she'd have to sleep out in the living room tonight. That wasn't so terrible though. The couch was much better that the cold stone floors of the Negaverse. As she walked down the hallway, she passed her mother's room.

The lights were still on in the room. She stopped at the doorway and leaned against it. He was still lying on the bed. He was just as she left him, lying on his back on top of the comforter. Her brow furrowed as she looked at him for a few moments. She turned though and began to walk away.

"Mizuno-san," Orion called out.

She turned back, surprised that he spoke. "Yes?"

"Thank you," He said, weakly.

"Thank you? For what?" She about choked. She came right up to his bedside. "I'm the one who should be thanking you. You brought me home."

"Most people…" He began. It took him a little time to find his strength. "…they would have killed me if they found me in a position like that—especially an enemy such as yourself."

Her brow furrowed. Were they still enemies? She sighed though. "I'm sorry that those are the kind of people you know. Not all the world is like that, you know."

"I'd like to believe that."

"Are you feeling better?" She changed the subject.

"I'm not sure. I still feel pretty terrible."

She sat down next to the bed. "What exactly happened to you? I don't understand."

He turned his head on the pillow so he could look at her. "You ask a lot of questions, you know."

She blushed. "Sorry."

"Don't be."

"Okay," She still was blushing.

"As I told you, my powers were enhanced by the Negaverse. When Beryl discovered what I had done, she cut me off from the Negaverse's energy."

"Now you're just human like everyone else?"

He laughed gently. "Do I seem human to you?"

"You're not?" She looked absolutely confused.

"No, I'm not. Admittedly though, our races are quite similar. Our DNA is almost identical. We're an inter-breedable species," He said, matter of fact.

She blushed again at the mention of breeding.

"Perhaps the most significant difference between my race and yours is the inherent magical abilities we possess—well, some of us possess."

"Only some of you have abilities like yours?"

"Not like mine. My people can be gifted with many different abilities. When I came into service for the Negaverse, my powers were enhanced and growth though the Negaforce. It became a part of me for so long."

"How long?"

"Over a thousand years in your understanding."

Ami's eyes flew wide open. Memories flooded her mind. Suddenly, some of the strange things about him made sense. Specifically, she remembered the day Orion told the history teacher what happened to the Maya civilization. It was one of history's greatest mysteries, but Orion behaved as if he knew. Ami marveled at the reality—he did know.

"Teleportation, metaphysical sensory perception, immortality…" He began. "…they've been taken from me." He closed his eyes, exhausted.

She pondered on those words for a moment. "Perhaps you should rest now."

"Yes, Mizuno-san, you are right."

Ami stood up from the floor and left the room. She continued down the hallway towards the living room. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was as well until it was finally time for her to go to bed. She would get the rest she needed tonight and in the morning, she would call the Sailor Scouts.


	18. Reunion

**Episode Eighteen**

**Reunion**

She didn't sleep well that night—or what was left of the night anyway. By midmorning, she could sleep no longer. Even though, her body was sore and tired, Ami got up off the couch in her living room and began her day. The first thing she did was head to the kitchen for a glass of water. It felt so good just to drink a glass of pure cold water after an experience like hers. She looked down at the calendar sitting on the counter. She had been gone for sixteen days, but it felt like a lifetime. Everything here felt so warm, safe, and colorful—as if she was experiencing for the first time all over again.

The apartment was quiet. She wandered around aimlessly with nothing do to for quite a while—just reexamining everything inside the apartment with fresh eyes. It was almost as if it was someone else's house and she was just visiting. She pondered on that thought for a moment. She wasn't the same person that she was two weeks ago.

Her exploration carried her to the hallway. The first bedroom on the right was her mother's. The door was still open. Again, she found herself standing in the doorway looking on in at the sight before her. Orion was still there, sleeping. Not that she knew it, but this was something new for him—sleeping. Nobody had watched in sleep for hundreds of years. Ever since the Negaverse granted its powers to him, the need to sleep was non-existent for him. But now, things were different. After painfully being stripped of his connection to the Negaverse, Orion's body felt fatigue for the first time in many years.

Ami leaned her head against the frame of the doorway and watched him sleep. The conversation from last night replayed in her mind. He wasn't human. He was something else—although, she didn't know what. Somehow, someway, he came in service to the Negaverse and they enhanced his natural abilities. The Negaverse made him a formidable General with whom the Sailor Scouts had many encounters. But now, he lay in her mother's bed, weak and helpless.

She remembered something else he had said. An enemy would have taken his life if he was in a position like this. He was there, asleep and vulnerable. She sighed, frustrated. If he was really her enemy, why would he help her escape? She remembered when he shouted at her in that prison cell—_"They're going to torture you!" _ Sure, if he was her enemy, he wouldn't have bothered.

But why did he bother? Well, she supposed that she did save his life once. Oddly enough, she saved him from drowning in a lake once. It seemed highly unusual-a guy like him drowning, but he was. She remembered the look on his face when she pulled him out of the water-he was terrified. Maybe, she thought, he saved her life to pay her back.

He sighed deeply in his sleep. She quickly turned, fearing he would wake up, but he did not. After it was safe, she turned her gaze back towards him. She watched as shaggy purple hair rusted against the white pillow sheets. Why did he bother? Maybe the answer would come someday, but for now, she had things to do. She left the doorway and headed into her room. The first thing she did was check on Trista's condition. Trista, too, was sleeping peacefully. That was a good sigh. Ami put her hand on Trista's forehead. Her temperature seemed normal too—an excellent sign. If Trista continued to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and could get down the protein shakes, then a full recovery could happen within a short amount of time. Trista, like herself, was a Sailor Scout. The magic granted to them strong and healed their bodies quickly. Ami was sure that it was the magic of being a Sailor that kept Trista alive for so long despite horrific conditions and treatment in the Negaverse.

After checking on Trista, Ami walked over to her desk. She had left her sailor pen there last night after all the excitement. She was used to carrying it on her at all times, but so many things had happened in the past few weeks. She picked it up and savored the icy cold feeling it brought to her skin for a few moments. It felt like she was greeting an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time. She then gave it a small wave. A slight wave of golden magic dust emerged from the pen. Soon, her small communicator materialized before her.

Ami took the small communicator into her hands. It felt so foreign to touch. What she wouldn't have given to have this in her hands while in the Negaverse. But that was all over now. She closed her eyes, relishing the fact that she was standing in her very own bedroom. She was home.

Now, it was time to move onto business. It was time to call the other Sailor Scouts. Ami looked over at the clock. It was Saturday. Serena would probably be still asleep. As silly as it was, it was hard to push the button. Ami didn't like to be a bother to anyone. But she knew this was important so she pushed the button to page Serena.

* * *

The bunny snuggled into her blankets as the cold morning air nipped at her toes. It felt so good to sleep in and not have to go to school that morning. Luna seemed to be enjoying the morning too. She was curled up at the end of the bed, sleeping as well.

Suddenly, Serena's communicator beeped. Luna's ears perked right up at the sound of the small beeping that sounded like nothing more than a small wristwatch. Luna ran across the bed, over Serena's body, and leapt towards the night stand where the communicator was.

"Serena! Wake up! We have an emergency!"

The bunny however only burrowed into her blankets and mumbled something incoherently.

"Serena, get up and answer this message!"

"…why don't you do it!" was all that was Luna could understand.

"You know very well that I don't have any thumbs!" Luna's feline hiss finally prodded Serena to get moving. It wasn't fast enough though. Carefully, Luna tried to form her paw into a shape where she could press the button needed to receive the communicator. With all her strength and will, she managed to force one of her digital pads to stick out more than the others. She pressed the small button on the communicator.

Ami's picture appeared on the screen.

"Ami!" Luna gasped.

That got Serena moving! The blonde threw aside her covers and quickly came to the nightstand to view the communicator screen. "Ami!" She exclaimed at the sight of her friend. "Ami, is that really you?"

Ami faintly gigged at the sight of her disheveled friend. "Yes, it's me, Serena."

"Oh," Serena squealed. "I can't believe it! How? Where are you?"

Luna's eyes narrowed. "Serena," She called, more seriously than she had ever spoken to Serena before.

Serena looked at Luna, confused. "What? What's the matter?"

"That might not be the real Ami," Luna said quietly. "We need to make sure who it is on the other line before we…"

Serena laughed at that idea. "Oh come on, Luna! It's Ami!"

"Luna's right," Ami happened to overhear the conversation. "What can I do to prove myself to you?"

"Tell us something only you'd know," Serena said. "Like a secret crush or something," She giggled.

"Well, I don't know about any secret crushes, but I do know you like to prop your book up and sleep during class, and I also know that…"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Serena laughed nervously. "It's the real Ami. We don't need any more tests, or quizzes, or exams, or anything."

Luna continued her disapproving glare at Serena's study habits for a moment before during her attention back to Ami. "Where are you, Ami?"

"I'm at home," She said. "I was hoping everyone could come over today. It is such a long story, and it would be more efficient if everyone was present."

"Of course we'll come over!" Serena bounced. "I'll get everyone together, and we'll be right over!"

"Alright. I'll see you soon."

* * *

Within an hour, all seven Sailor Scouts were gathered together. They crammed into the elevator of Ami's apartment building and went up to the seventh floor. When Ami answered the door, she was tackled by multiple hugs and joyous cries all at once. She nearly collapsed to the floor.

Too many questions all at once were fired at her. She blinked, unable to process all the attention and questions.

"Let her sit down," Lita laughed, noticing her friend's reaction.

Ami shook out of her daze. "I'm fine." Her excitement grew. "I have something important to show you." She led them away from the doorway and into her house. As she led them through the house, she motioned for them to keep quiet. She took them to her bedroom. Ami slowly opened the door.

Everyone gasped. Trista was lying in the bed sound asleep. Everyone began with more questions, but Ami only motioned for them to be quiet. They nodded and kept quiet.

Michelle stepped forward into the room. She came to Trista's bedside and stared down at the woman. "Oh, Trista, what happened to you?" She gasped, almost in tears, seeing Trista's condition.

Amara came up behind Michelle and put her hands on Michelle's shoulders. "They'll pay for this! I swear it! They'll pay for doing this to her!"

"The Negaverse had her all this time?" Raye was stunned.

"Please," Ami said. "Let's talk about this in the other room."

"No," Trista's eyes fluttered open. "Don't go."

"Trista!" Everyone exclaimed. Quickly, everyone packed into the room and surrounded the bed.

"You're alive." Tears finally did run down Michelle's face.

"Takes more than_ that_ to kill me," Trista said with a weak smirk.

Mina sat down in the chair at Ami's desk. "You have to tell us the story. How did you get back here? How did you find each other? What happened?"

The others nodded. They all made themselves comfortable and prepared for the story.

All eyes fell on Ami, but it was difficult for her to speak. She didn't know where to begin. She closed her eyes, looking as if she was recalling a painful memory, but after a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked up at her friends. "Queen Beryl is alive."

A vast array of reactions exploded across the room: swearing, screaming, crying, and stuttering. It took a few moments for things to calm back down so Ami could speak again.

Ami shook her head. "I don't know how, but I saw her. She's alive."

"How is that possible?" Serena stuttered. "We…we…defeated her…we…"

"I don't know," Ami reiterated, shaking her head.

The room was quiet for a long time.

* * *

Orion opened his eyes to see the plain white ceiling of Ami's apartment above him. Everything he had ached. Sleeping wasn't as replenishing as he remembered it, but it was a lot to recover from, he supposed. He forced himself to sit up. He almost howled in pain as he did it, but he managed it. He turned and put his feet on the floor. As he sat quietly, he heard sounds across the house. He willed himself to stand up, despite the pain. It was his core that hurt the most. As he walked out of the bedroom, he could not help but keep his arms wrapped around himself.

There were voices down the hallway. He slowly followed the sounds and came to the doorway of Ami's bedroom.

"Orion!" Ami gasped.

As a Negaverse General, Orion's reaction time and reflexes were peerless. Now, however, as a weakened man, he barely had time to process the fist that was flying at his face. Lita's strong fist smacked into his nose and sent him flying out of the doorway and against the wall. Blood gushed down his face and onto his shirt.

"Lita! No!" Ami hollered, surprising everyone. Ami stood before Orion, shielding him from the wrath of her friends. "He's the one who brought us home! He saved my life!"

"What?" Amara asked, still with raised fists. "He saved you?"

"Yes," Ami nodded vigorously. "Orion saved my life. He saved Trista's life by getting her out of there as well."

Ami kneeled down at Orion's side. He was cupping his hands over his nose to try and stop the blood. Ami reached in and pinched his nose. "Could someone bring me some tissue paper from the bathroom?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Raye ran off towards the bathroom. It only took her a few seconds. Once they had the tissues over Orion's nose, Ami helped him to stand.

"Er," Lita rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that."

Orion only nodded in response.

"So what does this mean?" Hotaru spoke up. "Have you changed your alliances?"

Ami looked at Orion. That was something they hadn't discussed.

Orion pinched his nose tighter. "I can't go back there," was all he said.

"Will you tell us what we need to know?" Michelle stepped forward and looked at him with a cold and firm expression.

Orion only nodded.

It took a few minutes for Orion's nose to stop bleeding. He was guided back into the bathroom to wash up his skin while Ami went to get him some fresh clothes. Even though her parents were divorced, her mother kept a box of her father's old clothes stored away in the bedroom closet. Ami dug through the box looking for something appropriate for Orion to wear. Most of the clothes were stained with paint—her father was an artist. After combing through the entire box, she managed to find a button down shirt and pair of jeans that weren't too badly marked up with paint. She brought the clothes to Orion in the bathroom.

The blood was cleaned, but his face was red and puffy. It was obvious that he was going to have a large bruise across the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, goodness," Ami gasped at the sight of it.

He turned towards her. "That bad, huh?"

She put the clothes down on the counter and reached up for his face. Gently, she ran her fingers over his nose. "Your nose isn't broken."

"That's good," He said, softly. Their faces were centimeters apart.

She noticed their closeness and turned her head away bashfully. She turned her attention back to the clothes. "I brought you some clothes." He padded them with her hand. "Well, I'll leave you to finish cleaning up then."

Orion nodded as she left the room. When she was gone, he closed the door behind her and stripped off his Negaverse uniform. He exchanged it for the pair of blue jeans with paint slightly splattered in random places. He then reached for the blue button up shirt. He slid it over his weary and aching upper body. Before he buttoned up the shirt, he looked at his toned abs. He looked strong, but he felt so weak. This lifestyle would have to take getting used to.

A few moments later, Ami knocked at the door. Orion was fiddling with the buttons, but failing. His dexterity was low to say the least.

She announced that she was coming in before the door opened. He had only finished a quarter the buttons. The next one gave him an extra amount of trouble.

Ami stood in the doorway, just looking for a moment. While Orion looked nothing like her father, it somehow felt like her father was standing before her as Orion stood in his clothes. Although she never saw her father wear that particular outfit, she remembered a photograph with her father wearing that shirt. After her moment of nostalgia dissipated, she noticed Orion struggling with the buttons. She came forward and took ahold of the shirt.

"I just can't seem…" His hands fell to his sides. He closed his eyes, painfully. "Everything feels like a chore."

Her sense of altruism caused her to leap into an embarrassing situation. In order to button the shirt, her eyes had to rack over his body—over the open shirt that showed his chest and abs. As best as she could, she tried to look away, but she could not hide the blush appearing on her face. Finally, she finished and looked away.

"Thank you," He said.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, trying to break the tension.

Orion shook his head. "No, I still feel so weak…so tired, and…" He sighed. "…there's this strange pain in my stomach."

"Oh?" She looked at him, a little worried. "Can you show me?"

Orion pointed to the upper left quadrant of his abdominal area. "It's been hurting since I got up. Occasionally, I feel this strange sensation—like rumbling."

It took everything she had not to laugh in his face, but she was unsuccessful. A few chuckles escaped her lips. "Is it a dull pain—not too severe?"

"Yes," He nodded, vigorously, but confused as to why she was laughing at him.

"You're hungry," She said, cracking a smile.

"Hungry?" He looked down at his stomach. A blush came to his face. He hadn't felt hunger in so many years that he had forgotten what it was like. However, he hated to feel so foolish. Here was another effect of losing his connection to the Negaverse—he would need to eat again.

Ami lead him out of the bathroom. "Come on, the girls are making some lunch."

It was true. The girls were hard at work rummaging through Ami's kitchen for something to eat; however, there wasn't much to be found in the house. Ami and her mother lived a very active lifestyle. They ate out more than most families did, and when they were at him, they ate very simple and basic foods. The groceries that Ami bought for herself over two weeks ago were already bad.

Lita looked around the kitchen at the lack of supplies. Even Lita, the most culinary skilled and creative chef of the group, suggested that they call for delivery. After a few minutes, it was decided that pizza would be order, and within the hour, pizza was delivered to the house.

It was a bit unusual, but Ami entertained all of her guests in her bedroom while they ate pizza, and Trista sipped on another protein shake. After a few minutes of passing out plates and slices, they settled down to finally hear the story.

Despite the fact that Ami told them not to hurt Orion, some of them still bore skeptical looks on their faces whenever he entered into their presence. Amara, however, was not afraid to speak her mind. "So, what happened there, and what does he have to do with it?" She nodded towards the man who sat in the corner.

Orion only glanced up, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, when I was taken to the Negaverse, the first thing they did was steal my Sailor pen. I was then taken to the prison ward of Beryl's palace. That's where I found Trista."

"How long were you there, Trista?" Mina asked.

Trista shook her head. "I'm not sure. Maybe six to eight weeks." She closed her eyes, as the painful memories flooded her mind. "They wanted my staff. They still have it."

The Sailors sighed. That was not good.

"Why do they want it?" Lita asked. "I don't understand."

The look on Trista's face communicated that she didn't know the exact answer to that question. However, Orion spoke up from his corner. "Beryl has discovered away to channel the staff's power through a magical ritual and view fragments of the time spectrum."

Serena blinked. "Translation please."

"Beryl can see time? Like the future?" Mina scratched her head.

"Yes—past, present, and future," Orion said. "At this time, however, she is not able to control what images are presented to her."

"How does that even work?" Amara asked.

"She can channel the staff's energy though the use of moonstones," Orion's answered.

"Ah," Ami said. "The same stones they've been using on people."

Orion nodded. "The magical properties of moonstone allow the staff to be used Beryl's whim. As I said though, she is not able to control what she sees."

"Why is she doing this?" Serena asked.

"Who wouldn't want to see the future?" Raye said. "She probably wants to see if whatever scheme she's got planned will work."

"That's exactly what she did," Orion said. "And the first time, she didn't like what she saw."

"What did she see?" Everyone said at one.

Orion shook his head. "I wasn't there—nobody was, but I do know that it haunts her to this very moment. She told us that we had to find the Moon Prince. He was the key to her destruction."

"Yes, your friends have been griping about the Moon Prince for goodness knows how long!" Mina said.

"Yes, who is he?" Hotaru asked.

Orion shrugged. "We don't know. Beryl has her Generals looking, but there is no information available to locate his whereabouts."

"I don't understand," Serena said. "What exactly is the Moon Prince?"

"I would have thought if anyone knew, it would have been you, Sailor Moon," Orion said with a smirk.

"Why is that?" She asked.

"Because he was your brother."

"Whhhhaaaa?" Serena blinked. "My brother…but…I don't remember any brothers…"

"It was a lifetime ago," Raye said, thinking about her own disconnected memories from the past. "I'm sure we've all forgotten a few things."

"It's true," Trista spoke up. "You had a brother in the past."

"I did?" Serena looked at Trista, concerned.

Trista nodded. "Prince Lír of the Moon Kingdom—second in line to the throne, twin brother of the Princess Serenity, General of the Moon Kingdom Armies, and the Moon's Greatest Champion."

All of the Sailors strained their thoughts trying to remember. Each Sailor would confess to having similar experiences of flashbacks or even dreams of the past. It didn't happen often, but sometimes, a glimpse into their past might come to them. This time, however, nothing seemed to appear about the Moon Prince. As Raye concentrated, however, she felt an uneasy pulling at her stomach. What was that about?

"I have a brother," Serena reiterated. "He was reborn then, but where?"

"You don't think it is Sammy do you?" Lita asked. "I mean, he's your brother now."

Serena thought about it. "Hmm, I don't know. If that's the case, why hasn't anyone noticed yet?"

"Who is this _Sammy_?" Orion asked.

"He's my little brother," Serena said. "He's fifteen years old."

Orion pondered for a moment. "A little young for the profile, but it is a possibility. You could speak with him about this."

"No!" Serena exclaimed. "My family doesn't know about any of this Sailor stuff! My mom would kill me if she found out!"

"Well," He cocked his head. "You could use a moonstone on him."

"I don't want to hurt him!"

Orion shook his head. "Using a moonstone on people doesn't actually hurt."

"Why do they scream then?" Mina asked.

"People are afraid when they are confronted," Orion said. "Let's be honest though. Draco or Lyra aren't the most gentle or subtle kind of people."

"No kidding," Mina laughed.

"There's just one thing I don't understand," Lita said. "How is it that Beryl is alive? We fought her. Serena killed her. She's supposed to be dead."

"The Negaverse is much more powerful than you could ever imagine," Orion said, solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Lita wanted to know more.

"The Negaverse feeds off the negative energy of the universe—unfortunately, there is a lot to feed it with. The Negaverse seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. It swallows worlds and galaxies whole—feasting off the misery that it causes."

"That's what the Negaverse wants to do to our world," Raye said, just as solemn.

"We won't let that happen!" Serena said, determined.

They continued eating in silence for a long while. The silence didn't end until someone noticed that Ami had only eaten a half a slice of pizza.

"Girl, you need to eat!" Lita poked at Ami's side. "You look like you've dropped a few kilos."

She looked at her half-eaten pizza. "Sorry, it's difficult to eat. They didn't feed us regularly."

"Maybe you should have a protein shake, too?" Mina suggested. With Ami's nod of approval, Mina got up and went into the kitchen. Raye followed her.

A saddened mood fell over the room. They started to feel just how much pain being in the Negaverse caused Ami.

"You're going to be alright," Amara, a bit uncharacteristically reached out and put her hand over Ami's.

Lita put her arm around Ami's shoulder at the same moment, and it was then that tears gently flowed down Ami's face. All of her friends surrounded her in that moment and comforted her.

Orion continued to sit in the corner, quietly watching the scene before him. He hung his head low, the shaggy bangs of his bluish-purple hair keeping his sky blue eyes covered. These were Ami's true friends—the people she would live and die for. He pondered on that fact, and the fact that there was nobody like that in his life.

* * *

The Sailors spent many hours at Ami's house—just laughing, talking, crying, or whatever emotion came up. The hour was growing late, and decisions had to be made. Ami's mother wouldn't be home for another two weeks. It was agreed that Trista should say at Ami's apartment for those two weeks so that her strength could grow. Then when Ami's mom would come home, Trista would have more strength to move. The next question was though, what would they do with Orion.

It was perhaps an embarrassing question, but Mina was the kind of girl to make everyone feel uncomfortable. She looked straight at him. "So where are you going to go now?"

The truth was that he had absolutely no where to go. He was alone in this world—he was alone in every world. He glanced down at his feet covered with the socks Ami gave him. How pathetic he felt—he didn't even have any clothes.

By his expression, everyone could tell that he had nowhere to go. They started discussing it among themselves.

"I can take care of myself," He said, gruffly.

"Let's just be honest here," Lita said. "You need a place to stay."

Orion glanced away.

"You can stay at Raye's!" Serena said, proud of her idea.

"Serena! You can't just volunteer my house whenever you feel like it!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "You know it's the perfect place!"

"I know that!" Raye growled, "But still, you can't just use my house like your personal hotel! I've got to take some time and try to get Grandpa to say yes. "

"It's perfect!" Serena said. "You can just hire Orion as an apprentice."

"We already have an apprentice," Raye looked annoyed. "I'll have to spend some time buttering Grandpa up before he'll say yes."

How could he ask any of these people for a favor? He didn't belong here. He stood up from the floor. "Look, I'm not going to bother you anymore. I can take care of myself. I'm a grown person." He bowed his head and exited the bedroom.

Ami shot up from the floor and followed him down the hallway. He reached the doorway to the apartment. His old boots from his Negaverse General uniform was all he had to wear on his feet. Gods, it was depressing to have to put those back on, but he sat down on the floor.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ami ran after him.

He reached for the first boot, but she leaned down and swatted it out of his hand.

"Mizuno-san!" He said, a bit indignant that she would do such a thing.

"I asked you a question!" She put her hands on her hips as she towered over him.

He rolled his eyes and looked away. "I'll figure it out."

"I'm not just going to let the person who saved my life sleep out on the street. Now, you're staying here until _proper_ arrangements can be made for you."

"I don't need your help, Mizuno-san," Orion said. "I can take care of myself."

Even she was surprised by the frown she felt forming on her face. He noticed it too because he wouldn't even look at her.

"I just…" Ami began, but she couldn't finish. "I guess you can go if you want, but…"

He stood up from the ground, looking at her again.

She looked at him too. "I don't want you to get hurt. I suspect that they'd be looking for you, and in your condition…please…just stay…"

It was absolutely true—he was in no condition to wander the streets alone. He had no idea of the full effect that being severed from the Negaverse had, and nevermind the fact that Beryl probably has sent her minions to hunt him down. "Alright," He sighed. "I'll stay."

"Thank you."

* * *

And so that night, Orion, Ami, and Trista stayed in Ami's apartment that night. Trista was in Ami's room. Orion insisted that he sleep on the couch while Ami slept in her mother's bed. As Ami tried to sleep, so many thoughts and feelings circled through her mind. She clenched onto the white sheets tighter. What she wouldn't give to have her mother home. Tears came onto the pillow. She tried to calm herself though. She had to sleep well. She had a lot of responsibility to try and get Trista back to health.

She snuggled her head into the pillow. It didn't smell like her mother. The smell was calming to her, but she blushed at the realization—it was _his_ smell.


	19. Sunday

**Episode Nineteen**

**Sunday**

Even though it was late fall, the unusually warm weather drew large crowds to the Hikawa Shrine. It was interesting to watch all the different kinds of people wandering the Shrine grounds that day—young couples with small children, the elderly, those dressed in track suits, others dressed in business suits, students, and many others.

Not that Raye had any time to be paying attention to all those details. She spent most of the morning running around the Shrine trying to cater to all the needs of the guests. With a grandpa who found it more exciting to flirt with young ladies rather than do his duties, Raye had a lot to attend to that morning.

Among those visitors was a well-known blonde. While other people would not dare to open the door to the gift shop, Serena went on ahead and opened the door. Raye was restocking the shelves with charms and small traditional looking gifts.

Raye noticed Serena's presence, but she didn't say anything. She kept on working, trying to detangle the tassels on the charms.

Serena grabbed a cluster of twisted up charms and started to work. "Busy, huh?" Serena looked around at all the people.

"Yeah," Raye said. "It's been like this all morning."

"Well, it's a great day to be out." Serena said. She was quiet for a few moments until she felt ready to talk about what she really wanted to talk about. "So have you asked your Grandpa yet about Orion?"

Raye gave her friend a dirty look. "Does it look like I had the time to do so?"

"Sorry," Serena shook her head with an _"Oh, Raye"_ kind of look. She finished detangling a set of charms and reached for another.

"Did you talk to Ami today?" Raye tried to be a little kinder.

"Yeah, I called this morning." Serena nodded. "Everything's okay. "I'm going to go over there after I'm done here though."

"That's a good idea."

It was then that a group of giddy high school girls walked up to the shop. Instead of buying something though, they just stood around running their hands all over everything and giggling.

The box of charms was finished. As Raye moved onto the next item of inventory—the calligraphy pens—she rolled her eyes at the giggly girls as she turned away from the counter window. Serena noticed the look and shrugged her shoulders.

Raye put the box of brushes on the counter and began filling the display compartments with them.

"I think I'm going to buy a few love charms since I'm here," One of the high school girls said a bit loudly.

The group giggled some more before the next words could be spoken. "Yeah, I just hope they're lucky." She looked off into the distance. The girls' attention seemed to be divided between looking busy around the gift shop and between something off in the distance. "I'd really like to get the attention of that Shrine boy over there."

Her grip firmed. Her thumb started exerting a tremendous amount of pressure on one of the calligraphy brushes. Her knuckles turned white. Suddenly, the calligraphy brush snapped in two. The snap from the wood breaking caught her off guard. She looked down, seeing the pieces in her hand.

"Are you okay?" Serena looked more startled that Raye did.

Raye blinked, trying to find her thoughts.

"Yeah, he's gorgeous!" One of the girls exclaimed, trying to keep her voice in a whisper but not succeeding. "I've heard he's a senior at 10th Juuban. God, what I wouldn't give to transfer just so I stare at him all day."

Serena was still waiting for an answer from Raye.

Raye's brow furrowed. "I'm fine!" She snapped, throwing the broken brush towards the back corner of the gift stand.

Serena grimaced—things were not fine, and it was about to get ugly somehow. Luckily, she wasn't going to be the target today.

"Excuse me," One of the high school girls said. "Where are your love charms?"

"We're sold out," Raye didn't bother to look up from her task.

The high school girl was taken aback by the abruptness. "Are you sure?"

"And why wouldn't I be sure?" Raye looked up at them.

The girls made their excuses and walked away, but not before calling Raye something nasty under their breaths. Raye, however, continued to work without a word.

"And what was _that_ about?" Serena asked.

"What was _what_ about?"

Not today. Serena just shook her head. "You're hopeless."

"Yeah, whatever," Raye uttered.

It didn't take long for them to finish. Raye picked up the empty boxes and headed out of the gift shop with Serena trailing behind her.

"What are we doing now?" Serena asked.

"We've got to find Akira. I'll need his help for the…." Raye let out an exasperated moan. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"What?" Serena looked around for a moment. Finally, she saw it, but it was too late to do anything about it.

"What are you doing here?" Raye's eyes narrowed. "You're not even a Shinto practitioner."

The girl who stood before them had long dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her face was as equally snide as the two girls who stood on each of her sides. It was Regina Carlson—Raye's rival at Catholic school.

"You're not even Catholic, but that doesn't seem to stop you from coming to school," Regina smirked.

Raye looked away, grimacing—touché.

"Besides, it's a lovely day out for a walk, isn't it, girls?" Regina looked to her two friends. They nodded fervently in agreement.

"Since when do you _walk_ anywhere?" Raye asked, recalling the fact that Regina was driven to school in her family's Mercedes every day.

Serena glanced back and forth between the two girls—Regina and Raye. They sort of looked similar with their long dark hair and light skin, but feeling the tension in the air, Serena decided it wasn't a good idea to mention it. She did, however, wonder why these two seemed to hate each other so much.

"Hey, did you finish stocking the charms yet?" Akira walked up, not noticing the two girls were right in the middle of a tense moment.

"Uh," Raye's concentration broke and she had to refocus for a moment. "Yeah…it's finished."

"Alright, then let's start collecting the offerings."

Before Akira could turn away, Regina reached out and grabbed him by the arm. "Oh, could you help me?" She asked, it a much cuter and sweeter voice than she had been using before.

"He's busy!" Raye snapped.

Akira tried to pull his arm away. "Yes, she's right. I'm sorry."

"Oh, it will only take a moment," Regina batted her eyelashes. She pulled out a tourist map to the Shrine. I just don't know where to find the…the…the…" Her eyes scanned up and down the page for a moment. "Ah, yes…the haiden hall! Where is it?"

"The _haiden_ hall?" Akira clarified.

Raye slapped her hand over her forehead.

"Yes," Regina nodded vigorously.

Akira pointed to the building only a few meters in front of them.

"Oh," Regina laughed. "There it is! Wow, you're so helpful!"

"Yes, there it is." Akira said, glancing at Serena with one of those "_could anyone really be this dumb_" looks.

Serena only shrugged back at him.

Regina didn't let go of Akira's arm. "It's all just so…" She exclaimed. "All the…" She looked around. "Oldness…and things…"

Raye groaned. "I've got work to do!" She stormed off.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow," Serena said before following Raye.

"Yeah, I'll see you then." Akira waved goodbye to her.

Regina kept latched onto Akira's arm. "So, now that they're gone, can you tell me all the…you know…stuff about this place?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be working too," He said.

"Isn't giving tourist information a part of your job?"

He frowned—yes, it was.

* * *

The blender was getting a lot of use lately. Ami put in a handful of strawberries, a few spoons of protein powder, yogurt, and some ice. She put the lid on and started up the machine. She sighed. She was so tired, but still, things were on the upside. Trista was showing improvement already.

While she let the blender run, she went over to the ironing board in the kitchen. She had to get her school uniform ready for tomorrow. It was highly unusual, but the last place Ami felt like going to tomorrow was school. She was that tired.

Orion came into the kitchen. He looked tired as well. He stopped for a moment and studied the activity in which Ami had herself involved. He leaned against one of the kitchen counters and watched as Ami went back to the blender.

"Are you hungry?" She called to him.

"I'm not sure," He said, rubbing his tired face.

A strange hissing noise came from the clothes iron. Quickly, Ami spun around to take care of the iron, but the blender pitcher slipped out of her hands.

He meant to teleport, but instead, he found himself smacking his face on the floor. His nose was already sore from getting punched in the face yesterday.

Ami managed to catch the blender, run to the iron to turn it off, and then went over to Orion. She helped him stand to his feet. "Are you alright?" She looked around, trying to find what he tripped on. "What happened?"

He obviously looked embarrassed. "When you dropped that machine, my reaction…well, my reaction was to catch it…but I…"

"You can't teleport anymore," She finished his sentence.

He nodded. "That ability was given to me."

Ami went back to the blender. "The way you speak—you speak as if you had inherent abilities before you joined the Negaverse…"

"I didn't _join_ the Negaverse," He said, quietly.

She turned around. "I'm sorry." By the sound of his voice, she knew that there was a story behind there, but she didn't say anything.

He shook his head, noting that it wasn't her fault. "Don't worry about it." He leaned back against the counter as Ami continued to prepare lunch.

Ami put a strawberry in her mouth just for good measure. After she chewed some of it, she spoke again. "After lunch you can clean up, if you like. I left some extra towels in the bathroom for you." She went over to the sink to wash her hands.

It seemed unusually quiet. She had to turn around just to make sure he was still there. He was, but he didn't seem right. Absentmindedly, he ran his finger back and forth over the countertop.

She pondered at him for a moment. Then suddenly, her senses focused on the sound of the running water. It was bothering him. Quickly, she shut it off and reached for a towel to dry her hands. "Are you alright?"

He jerked out of his musings. "What?"

She only looked at him. It was as obvious as day—he was afraid of water, but it was probably not the time to bring a subject up like that with him. She shook her head. "It's nothing."

* * *

The moonstones, charged with the power of the full moonlight, were starting to grow dim again. Another ritual would be needed to recharge them soon. There was so much upkeep for so little reward. It had been months now, but there were still no definitive answers about the Moon Prince or why he was such a threat to her operations.

When the situation seemed like it couldn't be any worse, it plummeted even more. Not that she ever did or would tell him this, but Orion was her best general. But he betrayed her—probably too smart for his own damn good. The man was under her servitude in exchange for his freedom from the Negaverse—well, without having his powers taken away. She made sure the first thing she did when she discovered the treachery was to cut him off from the Negaforce. That ought to have killed him, but still, she had her doubts. Orion was a clever one. She doubted that he would have ran off unless he had found some way of countering the effects of having the Negaforce drained from his body—little did she know that Orion simply just didn't care anymore. All of these thoughts fueled her rage as she punished those faithful to her.

Lightning shot out from her fingertips in furious sparks. Three souls withered and screamed under the intense currents ripping through their bodies. Those that remained—those who were loyal—were being punished for one who was not.

Standing was not possible. Lyra reached out her hand towards the Queen. "My Queen…please…" Her cries only fell on deaf ears. Another wave shot through her body.

Every fiber of his being pulsated painfully as the electric currents entered into him. He gritted his teeth to the point of chipping some of them. He would not scream—no matter what, he would not scream. No, he would find satisfaction somewhere else. If there was a chance at all that Orion was alive, Draco was going to rip him to pieces. If not, then he would just as happily direct that rage towards the Sailor Scouts. Somebody was going to pay for this.

Aludra, the Queen's magician, was punished too. Although she was never specifically sent out on missions, she was still one of Beryl's Generals and a part of the court. Examples must be made and standards must be set; therefore, Aludra bore the same punishments as her fellow comrades.

Finally, the Queen relented. This was the third time Beryl decided to make an example of these three before her court. The room was silent save for Lyra's weeping. The Queen racked her eyes back and forth over the three Generals still convulsing and withering on the ground.

"If I ever hear so much as a whisper that any of you knew about this," Beryl said quietly. "You'll wish you would have died right along with your pathetic excuse of a race!"

Draco picked up his head off the floor—only a few centimeters though. One eye was swollen shut, but he looked at the Queen with his good eye. Even though he swore to serve her faithfully, it was moments like these that made a small prick in his heart. It was the Negaverse that destroyed his planet—his and Lyra, Aludra, and Orion's planet. They were probably the only ones left. He always told himself that those things were behind him and that power was only before him. But moments like these made it difficult.

"If you want to redeem yourself, then you better find me the Moon Prince! Aludra, you will be joining Draco and Lyra in the search as well." Her voice boomed in the silent courtroom. Just for good measure, she sent out one last shock of electricity before turning away from the three Generals in disgust.

* * *

One evening came, the crowds at the Hikawa Shrine thinned down considerably. Relieved, Raye finished up the remainder of the chores and as a finishing touch, started sweeping the sidewalks. Serena had been long gone, and Raye found herself wondering about what was happening at Ami's house. Hopefully, everything was okay. She decided she would call after dinner.

The sun was dropping steadily in the sky. It was becoming harder and harder to see. Raye stopped sweeping for a moment and just looked at deep crimson, orange, and blue sky. The stars were starting to awaken in the sky. It was beautiful.

"It'll be a nice night out tonight, won't it?"

She didn't need to look. "Why? Are you planning any more temple scaling tonight, monkey man?" She looked anyway, wanting to see the look on his face after a comment like that.

As she hoped, he was amused. "No, I can't say I was, Princess."

She continued to sweep. "What a day," She sighed.

Akira sighed too. "No kidding."

"I'm not sure what was worse," Raye started. "The kid who threw up in the temizuya or…" Her thoughts immediately went to Regina's hands all over Akira. What the heck? Why did that just come up? Then suddenly the comments those girls were making in the gift shop started replaying in her mind.

"Or what?" Akira asked, waiting for her answer.

Raye shook out of her wandering thoughts. "…uh…well…actually…the kid throwing up was pretty bad." She rubbed the back of her neck.

Akira chuckled a little. "I think it rates up there with my having to pacify a group of teenage girls after your grandfather kept trying to flirt with them," He said. "And that was despite the fact that they threatened to call the police."

"Please," Raye rolled her eyes. "I have to deal with that on an almost daily basis."

"Well," He said. "You're the winner then. Now, let's call it a day and get some rest."

Raye breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, you're right. I'll try to get rested up before school tomorrow."

Akira nodded in agreement.

Moments after taking their first steps towards the house, Raye heard her name in the distance. She turned back, looking for the source of the sound. Immediately, an unhappy sigh escaped her lips. "What is he doing here?" She muttered to herself.

Akira had turned as well. It was Raye's father. The same sigh came over him as well. The last thing he felt like doing was catering to a rude and insulting man all night after a long day of work. Plus, he hated the effect that this man's presence seemed to have on the girl next to him. He glanced over at the raven haired girl whose relaxed posture had already dissipated. She was now on the defensive with her arms across and her brow furrowed.

"Raye!" Takeshi Hino walked up holding his usual brief case and also bouquet of flowers. He passed off the flowers to Raye. She accepted them without a fight this time. "I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I should see you."

She glanced around the shrine grounds. "It's really late."

"Better late than never!" He said, chipperly.

She shrugged her shoulders.

Mr. Hino motioned towards the house. "Let's go inside. I have so many things to discuss with you."

Raye didn't like the tone this was taking. Before she could protest though, she was being ushered into the house by her father, and he was too busy snapping orders at Akira to even listen to a protest. Soon, the three of them were in the house. Immediately, Grandpa began to protest Mr. Hino's presence, but Mr. Hino was an expert at keeping authority in tense situations—or perhaps one would call it manipulation. As quickly as he arrived, Mr. Hino carted Raye off for a private audience, leaving Akira and Grandpa to eat alone that night. Of course, Mr. Hino still demanded that Akira bring them dinner and tea and whatever else he wanted, but for the most part, Mr. Hino was adamant about speaking with Raye alone.

Still after a half-an-hour, Raye didn't know why her father was there. Things were starting to settle down now. Her father had everything he demanded—dinner, tea, bottled water, ice, and his coat hung up properly. The door to the tiny meeting room was finally closed in peace.

The man didn't speak right away however. Raye stared at the tea kettle sitting on the table. She'd have to apologize to Akira for the way her father continually bossed him around. She poured herself a cup of tea and waited quietly for her father to speak.

"So, your teachers say you've been doing well enough at school."

Well enough? Raye only sighed at those words.

The man tapped his fingers together. "Things have been quiet busy with the campaign, but I kept my promise. I've come to see you."

Raye only continued to sit silently while drinking.

Mr. Hino sighed. "Are you going to ignore me all night?"

Raye looked up from the table to her father's eyes. Goodness, that was difficult—looking that man in the eye. "Sorry, I…" She mumbled then glanced away.

"Anyway, as I was saying, it's been very busy lately. I've been working hard on a very special project."

"And what is that?" Raye asked, trying to be social, and yet, not really caring.

"I'm glad you asked!" Mr. Hino perked up. "Guess who's going to be running for the House of Councillors this coming election?"

She was too apathetic to be asinine. She only motioned her hand towards her father.

"Yes!" He raised a finger. "The party recommended me for the job, and who was I to argue with that?" He laughed. "So I've been hard at work the last few months. We hope to announce my candidacy in the next few months."

Raye nodded politely. "That's nice."

"It's really quiet exciting," Mr. Hino continued. "We're announcing my running for election on national television."

"Oh?"

"I'm going to be a tv star," Mr. Hino used his thumb to point at himself. He continued to laugh at his own sense of humor.

"Yeah," Raye nodded a bit and glanced away.

"Say," Mr. Hino looked at his daughter. It sounded much more rehearsed than spontaneous which was the first clue that something was not right. "Would you like to have a chance to be on tv?"

Raye crossed her arms over her chest. "No."

Mr. Hino frowned. What was wrong with this girl? Wouldn't any teenage girl jump at the chance to be on television? He reached up and stretched his head. He thought she was uninterested, but little did he know, he had pissed her off. Slowly, he started to notice the sour look on her face. His continence immediately changed from light-hearted to harsh and angry. "What's the matter with you?"

That condescending and cutting tone—she remembered it well. She didn't want to start this, but she couldn't help herself. She rose up from her sitting position and slammed her hands down on the table. "You really want to know what's wrong?" It would be difficult to control her rage now. "What's wrong is that you come around pretending to want to spend more time with me when all you really want is for me to help with your stupid campaign!"

Anger flashed across Mr. Hino's face for just an instant, but he managed to calm his emotions quickly—a true politician. He took a deep breath, cocked his head, and nodded gently. "I understand."

"And for another…wait…what?" She cocked her head to the side.

Mr. Hino clasped his hands together and nodded his head gently. "I understand."

"You do?"

He continued to nod. "Yes, I haven't been around much in the past few years, and now, I come back around wanting your help. It's a bit selfish of me."

Raye returned to her sitting position, ready to listen.

"When I was nominated to run for election by the party, we immediately set to work on the campaign. My staff and advisors noticed that our demographics with households and families needed attention. They suggested that my family join me in the campaign advertisements." Mr. Hino paused for a moment to sigh. "That's when I realized something."

"What?" Raye couldn't help but ask.

"I had alienated my family." He glanced away as he continued to speak, as if reliving a memory. "I'm supposed to appeal to families using my family, but I have not been as attentive with my family as I should have been." Suddenly, his hand clasped over his daughter's hand.

Raye looked up, shocked. Her eyes darted back and forth between her father's face and his hand over hers. That had never happened before.

"I'd like you to join me so maybe we can find out what it means to be a family again."

There were too many thoughts, feelings, and emotions bouncing inside of her to have anything intelligible to say. Instead, she nodded.

"Terrific!" Mr. Hino threw up both of his hands in triumph.

* * *

Mr. Hino left in good spirits that night. That didn't mean however that he ceased to bark orders at Akira or snip at Raye's grandfather when he left. He left late into the night after explaining to his daughter the many details and preparation that it would take for the campaign. He assured her that she would not actually have to do that much—most of the work would be up to him—but her presence was valuable to the campaign.

After her father had left the house, she came out from hiding—allowing herself to be seen by her grandpa. Of course, Grandpa started playing 20 questions immediately on sight. Akira only sat quietly at the kitchen table eating a late night snack. He, however, would not take his eyes off of her.

She held out her hands, motioning for her grandpa to stop talking. "It's alright. Don't worry about it. Everything is fine." She looked over in Akira's direction, including him as well.

"Well, it doesn't look fine," Grandpa huffed as he fell hard into his seat at the kitchen table.

Raye sat down with them on the floor. She reached out and stole a piece of Akira's dekopon. She smirked as he watched the stunned look on his face when food was taken from him. "It's nothing any of you have to worry about."

Akira put another piece of the fruit into his mouth. Still, the way he looked at her showed that he was not convinced. But, the subject seemed to be dropped as he instead offered her another piece of his snack.

* * *

Ami looked around her room one last time. Trista was asleep so Ami did not want to wake her. Ami was looking around the room for all the books and school supplies that she would need in the morning. Once she was convinced that she had everything, she quietly left the room and closed the door behind her. She went back out to the kitchen. She placed her bag on the table with her extra textbooks that didn't fit in the bag.

The living area next to the kitchen was dark, but it was illuminated well enough from the lights of the kitchen. Orion was not sleeping. He was sitting with his legs crossed on the couch with a blanket over him.

Ami looked over at the clock. It was ten at night. She walked into the dark living room and took a seat in one of the recliners. "You should rest."

"So should you."

She smirked, looking down to her lap as her long blue bangs fell over her eyes. "That's probably true."

"You're going back to school," He said as a matter of fact.

"Yes," She nodded. "And so should you."

He almost laughed. "I'm not exactly a high school student, you know."

"You need to start somewhere," Ami said.

He only looked over at her. Nothing else needed to be said. He turned and looked out the apartment doors towards the city. When he left the Negaverse, he thought he would die. He didn't anticipate a future, but now, he was faced with having to make choices as to what direction his life was going to go.


End file.
